LAREDO, Texas (October 5, 2024) – Playing at Texas A&M International University for the second time this season, The University of Texas Permian Basin women's volleyball team earned its second win over the host Dustdevils this year with a 3-1 (20-25, 25-17, 25-23, 25-21) victory on Saturday.

With the win, UTPB (9-4 overall) gets back to .500 in the Lone Star Conference (2-2) and hands TAMIU (6-7 overall) its first loss in conference action (3-1) so far this season.

Gloria Geurin and Kennedi Wright each had one of their best matches in a while. Geurin racked up 14 digs on .351 percent hitting and added 11 digs. It was her most kills since the Falcons' season opener and was her first double-double since September 13. Wright was also impressive, finishing with 12 kills and 14 digs and tying for the team-lead with five double-doubles so far this season.

Lauren Demuth had nine kills, her second-most kills in a match as a freshman, hit .381 percent, and recorded a career-high six blocks.

Cassandra Rother added nine kills, her most since September 12, and Chyra Thompson had seven kills on .313 percent hitting.

Jenna Gray had 26 assists and 12 digs and Canyen Rodriguez had 15 assists. For Gray, it was also her fifth double-double of the season and was her most assists in a match since the Falcons' second match of the year.

Last but certainly not least, Gabby Gregorski had 25 digs, her most since September 14.

After dropping the first set, UTPB bounced back with leads of 8-3, 11-5, 14-9, 20-13 and 22-15 in the second set.

In what would turn out to be a pivotal third set, UTPB trailed by two points three times late in the set (20-18, 21-19, 23-21), but scored four straight points on a kill by Demuth, an assisted block by Demuth and Wright, a solo block by Demuth, and a kill by Wright to take a 2-1 set lead.

In the fourth set, Demuth and Rother posted back-to-back kills and then combined for a block before another kill by Rother. Those were the first four points of a 6-0 run for UTPB that made it a 7-1 lead after a kill by Wright.

UTPB was off and running from there, doubling up the Dustdevils at 10-5 and 12-6, but after leading by six again late in the set (20-14), UTPB saw its advantage cut to just three points at 22-19. It was then 23-20 before a kill by Thompson assisted by Gray gave the Falcons match point, and then two points later a kill by Wright assisted by Kierra Freeman ended the match in victorious fashion.
 
UTPB returns home next week to host Texas Woman's University at 6 p.m. on Thursday, October 10, followed by another home match against Midwestern State University at 2 p.m. on Saturday, October 12.