ODESSA, Texas (October 16, 2026) – The University of Texas Permian Basin volleyball team led Dallas Baptist University 24-23 in the first set and 23-20 in the third set, but could not come out on top in either frame as the Falcons fell 3-0 (26-24, 25-17, 25-23) for the second match in a row against a top-three team in the Lone Star Conference.
UTPB opened the match with an ace by
Kierra Freeman and led the whole way in the first set until the final two points. The Falcons led 11-8 on the third kill of the opening set by
Addison Parks, led 14-10 after their second ace of the set (
Nickilah Whatley), and led 15-10 on the fourth kill of the set by
Kaitlyn Salgado.
UTPB started the match red hot with 10 kills and zero attack errors (.588 percent).
After the technical timeout, DBU rattled off four straight points to get within one (15-14), but a kill by
Sydney Bradley stopped the run. Later with the score down to one again (20-19) after four straight kills by DBU, a kill by
Precious Johnson stopped another 4-0 run by the Patriots.
Tied at 23-23 later in the first set, UTPB got a huge kill from Parks, but a crucial service error on the next point was followed by the fourth service ace of the set by the Patriots to steal the momentum. An assisted block by the Patriots on the final point clinched the 26-24 win in the opening set.
Both teams hit over .340 in the opening set, led by UTPB at .371 percent and DBU with 17 total kills. Salgado would register six kills on .500 percent hitting in the first set for UTPB, but would not record another kill until the middle of the third set. In addition, Parks totaled four kills in the first set, but would only record one more kill for the rest of the match.
In the second set, UTPB led 4-2 after two early blocks and then led 7-6 after an ace by
Isabel Rodriguez. However, after a challenge at 7-7, DBU was again strong coming out of the break, scoring five of the next six points to take a 12-8 advantage. There were six ties and four lead changes within the first 16 points of the set, but it was DBU that began to pull away.
DBU's third block of the third set made it 17-13, part of a dominating 8-1 run for the Patriots to make it 21-13 after the Falcons cut it to a one-point deficit (13-12) on an ace by Whatley and a kill by Johnson. Not even a timeout by Head Coach
Melissa Avila was enough to slow down the run by the Patriots, who took the second set by a score of 25-17 after hitting over .300 percent for the second set in a row.
In the third set, it was UTPB again leading by a score of 4-2 for the second set in a row, this time after a successful challenge by Coach Avila and yet another ace by Whatley. From there, however, the Falcons would fall behind 10-8 after back-to-back block assists by the Patriots' Avery Keck and Kalin Hubbard, and then fell behind 14-9 after the third block assist of the set by DBU.
UTPB was hitting .000 percent (5 kills, 5 errors) to that point in the set, but would stay in the fight. UTPB finished a very long rally with a kill by Whatley to make it a 14-11 deficit and then got to within two points (14-12) thanks to a service ace by
Giselle Orellana. It was 16-12 after the fourth block of the set by DBU, but back-to-back kills by Bradley again got the Falcons to within two points (16-14).
Down 18-14, the Falcons took their chance and went on a run, scoring each of the next six points and in all, going on an 8-1 run of their own. Starting the run was a kill by Salgado, her first kill since the first set. That was followed by three straight kills from
Makenna Grimes to tie the set at 18-18. The run continued with an attack error by the Patriots and an ace by
Carson Peoples to make it 20-18 Falcons.
UTPB extended its lead to three points (22-19) after a kill and an ace by Salgado on back-to-back points, and then UTPB's final point of the night came on a kill by Orellana assisted by Peoples to put the Falcons just one point away from getting to set point (up 23-20). Unfortunately, another critical service error by the Falcons was followed by three straight attack errors to instead give the Patriots match point (up 24-23), and then a Patriots' service ace was all she wrote (win 25-23).
In each of the first and third sets, it was a gut-wrenching service error late in the set that doomed the Falcons and set up DBU's run to win it.
"I am proud of the way our girls competed tonight," spoke Coach Avila after the match. "We played at a high level and saw things we have not done in a couple of weeks: A lot of quality block touches; consistent, aggressive swings; and communication. I am ready for us to get back in the gym tomorrow and compete."
UTPB was led by Salgado and Grimes with eight kills apiece while Whatley added six kills and three aces. Salgado also led the team with 10 digs and was followed by
Kyndall Torres with eight while Peoples led the way with 16 assists.
UTPB falls to 5-10 overall and 0-9 in the LSC while DBU improves to 15-3 and 8-1. 2026 has been a bounce-back season for the Patriots. In 2025, the Patriots (12-13, 6-11 LSC) suffered their first sub-.500 campaign since the shortened 2020 season. It also marked the first losing season in the Jordan Fish era. Now, the 2026 group looks to return to the NCAA Tournament, a feat the program accomplished in each of the three seasons preceding 2025.
Next up, UTPB continues its homestand on Saturday, October 17, against Texas Woman's University. The match is scheduled to start at 1 p.m.
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