ODESSA, Texas (October 11, 2025) – The University of Texas Permian Basin volleyball team faced some adversity in the first set, but from there it was all Falcons as they rolled to a 3-0 (26-24, 25-15, 25-22) sweep in their first-ever matchup against The University of Texas at Dallas.

It was a tough start to the match for UTPB (6-11 overall, 4-3 Lone Star Conference), which started off the match with zero kills and six attack errors before finally getting its first kill courtesy of Lauren Demuth. UTPB would trail by scores of 15-12, 20-15 and 23-17 in the first set before making its run.

UTPB scored six straight points to tie it at 23-23 on back-to-back service aces by Ashlee Macias, and then after UTD (3-13, 1-5) answered with a kill to get to set point, Nickilah Whatley helped UTPB rise up. She first earned a kill to tie the set at 24-24 and then teamed up with Demuth on an assisted block to give the Falcons set point before finishing things off with another kill to earn the 26-24 win.

From there, UTPB used the power of the kill to overpower the Comets in the final two sets. The Falcons led 15-9 in the second set and found themselves with 10 kills and just one attack error to that point for a whopping .563 hitting percentage. The Falcons would finish off the second set with a then season-high 19 kills and a .333 hitting percentage, and somehow, they were even better in the third set, totaling a new season-high 20 kills and hitting .405 percent. UTPB led 14-9 in the final set after back-to-back aces by Whatley and then back-to-back kills by a fired-up Precious Johnson. With a 22-18 lead, UTPB had 18 kills to just one attack error in the third set for a .455 hitting percentage.

UTPB would finish with four players in double-digit digs, five players with six or more kills, and four players with two or more blocks.

Makenna Grimes had 12 kills and 10 digs while hitting .391 percent. Macias had 10 kills, 10 digs and two aces; Whatley had eight kills, seven digs, four blocks and two aces; Amyah Collins had seven kills and two blocks; Demuth had six kills and two blocks; Johnson had four kills and four blocks; Kierra Freeman had 38 assists and 10 digs; and Kyndall Torres had 16 digs.

Grimes totaled seven kills in the second set while in the third, she, Macias and Collins all totaled four kills.

Playing in its inaugural campaign in the Lone Star Conference and NCAA Division II play, UTD falls to 0-7 in road matches this season.

The Falcons have only one match next week, taking on the challenge of Angelo State University on the road starting at 2 p.m. on Saturday, October 18. ASU began the season ranked No. 2 in the AVCA/TARAFLEX Division II WVB Preseason Poll.