ODESSA, Texas (October 7, 2025) – A back-and-forth match between the UT Permian Basin volleyball team and Western New Mexico University saw the home Mustangs come out on top in the fifth and final set to earn a 3-2 (25-13, 23-25, 30-28, 13-25, 15-10) victory over the Falcons in a midweek match on Tuesday night.

Playing against the best blocking team in the Lone Star Conference after two weekends of league play, UTPB fell victim to the block early on as WNMU scored eight straight points to take an 8-2 lead in the first set. Three of those eight points for WNMU came via the block as the run ended with back-to-back solo blocks by Hailey Meeks and Daphne Posthumus.

At the first timeout of the match, UTPB trailed 15-7 and was hitting -0.045 percent (4 kills, 5 errors) compared to .316 percent (7 kills, 1 error) hitting for WNMU.

After three straight kills before the timeout for WNMU, Brynlee Barris come out of the timeout with back-to-back service aces to make it a 5-0 run and a 10-point lead (17-7) for the Mustangs. WNMU would lead by as many as 12 points twice in the opening set and dominated in nearly every statistical category, leading 13-9 on kills, .387-.083 on hitting percentage, 5-1 on service aces and 3-1 on blocks.

The Falcons did their best to stay with the Mustangs in set number two, trailing by no more than four points (11-7). Ashlee Macias was on fire, registering her sixth kill of the set to draw the Falcons to within one (19-18), and then after a timeout by WNMU, an attack error by the Mustangs tied it at 19-19.

The two teams were tied at every point thereafter until the final two points for UTPB. A powerful kill by Amyah Collins got the Falcons to set point up 24-23, and then a Mustangs' attack error gave UTPB the win and tied the match at one set apiece.

In all, there were 10 ties in the second set while WNMU committed seven attack errors after making just one such error in the opening set.

Macias surpassed her kill total from each of the last two matches (10) with back-to-back kills early in the third set, giving her 11 kills for the match and also providing UTPB a 3-1 lead.

Halfway through the third set, a 4-0 UTPB scoring run ending with the third service ace of the match by Kierra Freeman followed by another kill by Macias made it 13-12 Falcons and drew a Mustangs' timeout.

The second consecutive successful challenge for UTPB Head Coach CJ Allard resulted in a net violation on the Mustangs to give the Falcons a slight 19-17 advantage.

The eighth tie of the third set was 19-19, and after a service error by WNMU, a big solo block by Macias made it 21-19 Falcons, forcing the final timeout of the set by the Mustangs.

The eighth attack error of the third set by WNMU made it a three-point Falcons' lead (23-20), and then a kill by Kimaya Webb got UTPB to set point, but the Mustangs would not quit as they battled back to tie the set at 24-24 after an ace by Jayla McDuffie.

UTPB had set point five times in a third set that featured 13 ties and five lead changes, but could not close it out as WNMU won the last two points on kills by Jayden Hughes and Kaitlyn Salgado.

Neither team was able to create a separation of more than four points in sets two, three and four, that is, until a service ace by Macias and a kill from the backrow also by Macias made it 14-9 Falcons in the fourth set and forced a WNMU timeout.

UTPB had 10 kills and just two attack errors at that point in the set, and then the second kill of the set by Bentleigh Bundy after the timeout kept the run going. That was followed by another ace by Macias before a WNMU attack error wrapped up what was in all a 6-0 run to take a 17-9 lead.

UTPB stayed in firm control for the rest of the fourth set, which featured the third successful challenge by the match by Coach Allard to make it 21-13.

UTPB hit .440 percent (13 kills, 2 errors) in the fourth set while Macias recorded seven kills in the frame and Bundy had three.

After a convincing win in set number four, UTPB led 2-0 early in the fifth set after a solo block by Webb, but five of the next six points went to the Mustangs. Back-to-back blocks by WNMU made it an 8-4 lead.

UTPB cut its deficit to one (9-8) after three straight points on a kill by Makenna Grimes, a kill by Macias and a service ace by Andrea Urzua, forcing a timeout by the home team.

However, WNMU won six of the final eight points of the match, getting to match point on back-to-back kills by Ava Frezza, who came into the match for the first time in the fourth set, and Barris. The final point of the match came two points later on a Falcons' attack error that was just too long.

It was the first five-set match for UTPB since September 13, but was the third in the last four matches for WNMU.

UTPB finished the final set with seven kills but eight attack errors (-0.062 percent). WNMU had three blocks in each of its set wins and led 12-5 on blocks for the match. UTPB also allowed a season-high in kills (65), assists (60) and solo blocks (8).

Macias led the Falcons with 23 kills, tying her career-high set during the season opener earlier this year. She also led UTPB with 15 digs, had a .320 hitting percentage, and had two big service aces in the fourth set.

Nickilah Whatley was next with 10 kills while Collins had seven and Grimes and Webb both had five. Webb also hit .571 percent and added a team-high three blocks.

Bundy finished with four kills and hit .500 percent across three sets.

Freeman finished with 29 assists, 12 digs and a team-high three service aces.

The liberos, Isabel Rodriguez and Kyndall Torres, both registered double-digit digs as well with 11 and 10, respectively.

UTPB falls to 5-10 overall and 3-2 in the LSC, and sees its opportunity to finish off a three-match winning streak on the road fall away. In addition, it was the end of a five-match winning streak for UTPB against WNMU, which improved one match above .500 both overall (8-7) and in the conference (3-2) while also improving to 6-3 at home this season.

WNMU was coming off of back-to-back wins against Texas A&M International University (3-1) and Texas A&M University-Kingsville (3-2) last weekend, and certainly took advantage of that momentum against the Falcons. The Mustangs recorded a total of 10 blocks in the win against TAMIU, and then set a program record with 20 blocks to hand TAMUK its first loss in conference action of the season.

The regaining LSC Freshman of the Week, Daphne Postumus, totaled seven blocks – five solo – last week, and followed that up with five more blocks against UTBP. The reigning LSC Defensive Player of the Week, Brynlee Barris, totaled 15 blocks – 10 solo – last week, including tying for the most blocks in a single match in the LSC this season with 11 vs. TAMUK, and added four more blocks against UTPB.

UTPB Head Coach CJ Allard spoke on the match and said, "We gave a valiant effort tonight on arguably the toughest road trip of the season. Having not been in class since last Wednesday, these ladies showed great fight, composure and endurance against a strong Mustangs squad. Ashlee led well all night in every facet of the game, and it was great seeing Kimaya have her best match as a Falcon against two of the best middles in the Lone Star Conference. We'll be glad to be at home this weekend, but our work will be cut out for us with Tyler and Dallas on the docket."
 
UTPB will look to rebound at home on Friday, October 10, as the Falcons host The University of Texas at Tyler starting at 6 p.m.