DALLAS, Texas (October 24, 2025) – In a matchup between two teams separated by just one game in the Lone Star Conference standings coming in, The University of Texas Permian Basin volleyball team won 3-0 (25-23, 25-15, 25-20) on the road at Dallas Baptist University to improve to 5-4 in the Lone Star Conference so far this season.

With the win, UTPB (7-12 overall) avoids dropping below .500 in conference play for the first time this season. In addition, it was the end of a five-match losing streak for UTPB against DBU (11-6, 5-4), which entered the match tied for sixth place in the LSC standings and with a 5-1 record playing on its home court.

Playing on the road at DBU for the third season in a row, UTPB earned its first win vs. the Lady Patriots since 2019 and its first road win at DBU since 2011. In addition to being just the Falcons' third road win in 13 matches at DBU, it was only the third sweep for the Falcons over the Lady Patriots in 29 all-time meetings between the programs.

UTPB started the match with its 120th service error of the season, and then a kill by Karly Wells started a 9-1 DBU run to take an 11-5 lead in the opening set. Wells leads the LSC in kills per set and sits fourth in the nation with a 4.75 clip. Freshman Lauren Witte added her first three kills of the match during the run as well. A week ago in DBU's 3-1 win over at St. Mary's University (Oct. 17), Witte had arguably the best game of her young collegiate career, leading everyone with 15 kills while adding six service aces and 12 digs for her seventh double-double of the season. Witte is one of three DBU freshman to win LSC Freshman of the Week so far this season.

UTPB closed to within three points of DBU late in the first set (23-20) after kills by Ashlee Macias to bookend a 3-0 spurt, and then after a DBU timeout, Macias came out of the timeout with another kill and was followed by a kill by Lauren Demuth to make it just a one-point margin (23-22).

With the momentum swinging in UTPB's favor, Kyndall Torres snuck in a service ace to tie the set at 23-23, and then Demuth rose to the occasion with a kill and a solo block to close out the first set.

With an 8-0 run to close it out, it was an awesome response to win the first set for the Falcons. The scoring run for UTPB started just two points after a timely timeout by Head Coach CJ Allard when his team trailed 22-17.

Macias made up for her one-kill effort at Angelo State University last time out by totaling seven kills on 15 swings with no errors during the opening set against the Lady Patriots. In addition, Kierra Freeman accounted for the assist on all 13 of UTPB's kills in the first set, including on each of UTPB's five kills during the deciding run.

Despite coming into the match ranking 12th in the conference in hitting percentage, UTPB hit .227 percent with 13 kills and just three attack errors in the opening set. In addition, the Falcons totaled three blocks and two service aces in the first set compared to none in either category for DBU.

UTPB's run expanded to 10 straight points as an assisted block by Freeman and Nickilah Whatley gave the Falcons a 2-0 lead in the second set.

With Macias serving, things continued to spiral for DBU as Macias delivered an ace to give the Falcons a 9-4 lead and force a timeout by the Lady Patriots. After the timeout, Macias made it back-to-back aces for a 10-4 lead, capping a 5-0 run that had started previously with the ninth kill of the match by Macias, who was still hitting over .500 percent with no attack errors at that point in the match.

Macias' 10th kill of the match made it a 13-9 lead as she was hitting .529 percent with zero attack errors on 19 attempts at the time. Macias then totaled three more kills during a 7-0 run that gave UTPB its biggest lead to that point on the night (20-11).

DBU had no answer for Macias, who kept it rolling with a pair of kills to make it 21-12 and 22-13 late in the second set, her 14th and 15th kills of the match, all still without an attack error (.600 pct.).

Through two sets, UTPB had just five attack errors as a team, led by .100 percent (.253-.153) over DBU on attack percentage, and led 6-0 on both blocks and aces.

The Falcons carried the momentum from their comeback in set one through the rest of the night – never trailing in set two, and after taking a 10-9 lead in set three, they never looked back. Down 9-6 in the third set, Demuth started a 5-0 Falcons' run with a kill and ended it with an ace to make it an 11-9 lead and force a DBU timeout. Then a pair of kills by Macias bookended a 5-1 run to make it a 17-13 lead and force the final timeout of the match for the Lady Patriots.

Macias finished with 20 kills and just three attack errors on 37 attempts, good for a .459 hitting percentage, and she also added six digs and three service aces. Macias did not have a single error through two sets, and it was her fourth match this season with 20 or more kills. In addition, it was only the second time that an attacker from the opposing team led the match in kills vs. DBU all season.

Demuth finished with nine kills, five digs, four total blocks, three solo blocks, and two aces.

Freeman totaled 34 assists, 10 digs and two blocks and Emma Gonzalez helped lead the way with 13 digs.

It was arguably the most impressive performance of the year from the Falcons. UTPB performed to the tune of a team-wide .238 hitting percentage, its second-highest of the season in games against teams with a winning record. The Falcons played a cleaner game all throughout the stat sheet, committing fewer errors than DBU in three major categories: attacks, serves, and receptions.

DBU entered the match leading the LSC in aces per set (1.88), but on this night, it was a 9-0 advantage at the service line for the Falcons. In addition, UTPB finished the match with a .238 hitting percentage, the third highest DBU has allowed this season.

"Tonight was a phenomenal team performance," said UTPB Head Volleyball Coach CJ Allard. "An untrained eye would see Ashlee averaging seven kills per set while attacking .459 percent and think she carried the team on her back, but tonight's offensive gameplan was executed flawlessly by each player. An impressive serve-pass performance allowed our defense to out-block and out-dig an experienced DBU squad who has been to three consecutive NCAA Tournaments. We face the toughest defense in the Lone Star Conference tomorrow, so our work will be cut out for us."

Next up, UTPB continues its road trip in the Dallas area on Saturday, October 25, playing at Texas Woman's University. The match is scheduled to start at 2 p.m.