ODESSA, Texas (November 20, 2024) – Chyra Thompson, a senior middle hitter on The University of Texas Permian Basin women's volleyball team, has been named Second-Team All-Lone Star Conference for the 2024 season. In addition, fellow middle hitter Lauren Demuth was named to the All-Freshman Team while junior setter Jenna Gray and senior libero Gabby Gregorski were both named to the 2024 LSC Volleyball All-Academic Team.

Chyra Thompson – Sr., MH – Second-Team All-LSC
Thompson was the lone Falcon to start in all 25 matches this season and was third on the team with 89 sets played. She led the team with a .329 hitting percentage, 91.0 blocks (31 solo, 60 assisted, 1.02 BLK/S) and 254.0 points (2.85 PTS/S), and was second in total kills (193, 2.17 K/S). Thompson recorded at least three blocks in 21 matches this season, including doing so in each of the first 12 matches of the season; had at least four solo blocks in a match four times; and had six matches in which she reached double digits in kills while hitting over .300 percent. In all, she hit over .300 percent 14 times and over .400 percent eight times this season. In addition, she had 12 matches in which she recorded at least four total blocks, and did so in each of the final six matches of the season.

Thompson was named to the 2024 Iceman Invitational All-Tournament Team after leading the Falcons with 10 blocks over the three matches, adding 25 kills (2.55 kills/set), and recording 11 kills on 12 attempts for a whooping .917 hitting percentage in a 3-0 win over new Mexico Highlands (Sept. 14). It was the highest attack percentage in the LSC this season. Thompson also has the fifth-highest attack percentage in the conference this season at .786 percent (Sept. 20 vs. Lubbock Christian). Thompson had a stretch where she recorded at least nine kills with a .348 hitting percentage for six straight matches (Sept. 13-Sept. 28).

Thompson was named the Lone Star Conference Offensive Player of the Week for the week ending on Sunday, September 22, 2024. Thompson averaged 3.83 kills and 1.17 blocks in a pair of 3-0 wins vs. Texas A&M International and Lubbock Christian that week to extend UT Permian Basin's win streak to seven matches. Thompson posted a .583 attack percentage powering 23 kills, with 12 kills against TAMIU. The senior's .786 attack and 11 kills vs. LCU led the Falcons to a single match hitting percentage record (.392). Thompson added seven blocks and averaged 4.50 points over the two LSC Challenge matches. Thompson became just the second Falcon in program history to be named a Player of the Week in the Lone Star Conference at the time, but she was not the last Falcon to do so this season.

During her Senior Day, a 3-1 win over St. Edward's (Nov. 9), Thompson had seven kills on .357 percent hitting and added a career-high with five solo blocks. Then in the next match, a big 3-2 win at Oklahoma Christian (Nov. 15), Thompson finished with eight kills, a career-high nine total blocks, and had four solo blocks for the final time of the season. The nine blocks in one match were good for the sixth-most in the LSC this season.

The calling card for the Falcons all season long was defense as the team ranked first in the LSC in opponents' hitting percentage (.153) and blocks per set (2.40). In addition, Thompson ranked fourth in the LSC in blocks per set and was eighth in hitting percentage and 33rd in points per set.

Lauren Demuth – Fr., MH – LSC All-Freshman Team
Demuth started in 20 of her 23 matches played as a rookie and appeared in 70 sets. She was second on the Falcons with 68.0 blocks (0.97 BLK/S), was fourth with a .239 hitting percentage, and was fifth on the team with 161.5 points (2.31 PTS/S) and 112 kills (1.60 K/S). She had at least three blocks in 15 matches and at least four blocks in 10 matches. Demuth was ranked in the top-10 in the LSC in blocks per set (0.97) while her .239 hitting percentage was 36th.

Demuth reached double-digits in kills for the first time in her career with 10 in a 3-2 win over Southeastern Oklahoma State (Sept. 13). She had nine kills, her second-most kills in a match as a freshman at the time, hit .381 percent, and recorded a career-high six blocks in a 3-1 win at Texas A&M International (Oct. 5). Demuth had four kills, hit a career-high .667 percent, and led the team with a match-high five blocks in a 3-0 sweep over Midwestern State (Oct. 12). In the home match against No. 15 nationally-ranked Angelo State (Oct. 23), Demuth shined with a career-high 15 kills while hitting .565 percent and leading the team with five blocks. Lastly, in an important 3-1 win over St. Mary's (Nov. 7), Demuth played big all night long and finished with nine kills and six blocks, tying her career-best block total as a freshman.

Behind Thompson and Demuth, UTPB ranked No. 27 in all of NCAA Division II in blocks per set as a team, was 45th in opponents' hitting percentage, and was 50th in total blocks (221.0).

Jenna Gray – Jr., S – LSC All-Academic Team
Gray was one of four Falcons to appear in all 25 matches this season, started in 23 of those matches, and was second on the team with 91 sets played. Gray averaged a team-high 5.67 assists per set (516 total assists) playing in a 6-2 system. She also led the team with 23 service aces and was second in total digs (232, 2.55 DIG/S). She set career-highs for a season in both assists and digs as a junior, and led the Falcons with 10 double-doubles on the year. She had at least 15 assists in all but one match and had 14 matches with at least 20 assists and six matches with at least 25 assists. Gray recorded her 1,000th career assist with her 23rd and final assist in a 3-0 home win against Midwestern State on October 12. She also recorded a career-high 32 assists against No. 15 Angelo State on October 23. Gray has 1,205 assists (4.73 A/S), 555 digs (2.18 DIG/S), 63 service aces and 59 kills in her career. At the end of the year, Gray ranked 12th in the LSC in assists per set, 33rd in service aces per set (0.25), and is 37th in digs per set as well.

Gray, a marketing major with a 4.0 cumulative GPA, has made the LSC Commissioner's Honor Roll during each of her first four semesters at UTPB (Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Fall 2024, Spring 2024).

Gabby Gregorski – Sr., DS – LSC All-Academic Team
Gregorski was the Falcons' starting libero in every match and was the only Falcon to play in all 92 sets this season. Gregorski averaged over five digs per set for most of the season and finished at 4.88 digs per set (449 total digs). She recorded at least 20 digs in 11 matches this season, including a career-high 31 digs in a 3-1 win over Western New Mexico (Oct. 19). It was good for the ninth most digs in a match in all of the LSC this season and was the third-most in a four-setter. She also had the third-most digs in the conference in a three-setter this season with 27 digs vs. New Mexico Highlands (Sept. 14). Gregorski ranked fourth in the LSC in digs per set while leading a team defense that was first in the conference in opponents' hitting percentage.

Gregorski was named to the Kathleen Brasfield Invitational All-Tournament Team after totaling 76 digs and averaging 4.75 digs per set across 16 sets. She was then named the 2024 Iceman Invitational Tournament MVP after totaling 23 digs and a stellar 6.92 digs per set average across three matches.

Gregorski was named the Edgardo Madrid & Associates Women's Student-Athlete of the Month for October after finishing the month by averaging 5.34 digs per set (155 total digs) across eight matches. She recorded at least 20 digs in five matches during the month of October.

Gregorski, a criminology/criminal justice studies major with a 4.0 GPA, has been named to the LSC Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll during each of her first two semesters at UTPB (Fall 2023, Spring 2024). At UTEP (2021-22), she made the Conference USA Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll in 2022 and also earned the Conference USA Commissioner's Academic Medal.
 

UTPB finished the season on a four-match winning streak, was 16-9 overall, and tied for sixth place in the LSC at 9-7.

Words from UTPB's first-year head coach CJ Allard, "While it doesn't change the unfitting end to our year, it's awesome to see Chyra Thompson, Lauren Demuth, Jenna Gray and Gabby Gregorski get recognized for their relentless effort over the season. All four were massive pieces to our record-breaking season. We're fortunate to be able to build around Jenna and Lauren moving forward."

Fifty-three players were selected for LSC honors, including 43 selected on one of three all-conference teams, in voting by the LSC volleyball head coaches.

The All-Academic Team, selected by vote of the LSC sports information directors, recognizes student-athlete accomplishments in the classroom and on the volleyball court. To be eligible for the All-Academic Team ballot, individuals must maintain a 3.30 cumulative grade-point average and have reached sophomore athletic eligibility.
 
LSC All-Conference Release
LSC Academic All-Conference Release