PORTALES, N.M. (October 24, 2026) – The University of Texas Permian Basin women's volleyball team made it three wins in a row with a 3-1 (25-17, 25-21, 19-25, 26-24) road victory at Eastern New Mexico University on Saturday afternoon.
UTPB (8-11 overall, 3-10 Lone Star Conference) trailed 5-4 in the first set before a 6-0 run to double up the Greyhounds at 10-5. That run started with a kill by
Kaitlyn Salgado and also saw an ENMU (7-17, 3-10) attack error, a solo block by
Precious Johnson, another kill by Salgado, a service ace by
Emma Gonzalez, and lastly, a kill by
Makenna Grimes.
UTPB widened its lead to six (13-7) on a kill by
Giselle Orellana, maintained at least a three-point lead for the rest of the set, and expanded it to a nine-point lead (24-15) following a 4-0 run featuring three ENMU attack errors. The final point of the 25-17 win in the opening set came via an ENMU service error.
Trailing 7-5 in the second set, UTPB went on an 8-2 run starting with another ENMU service error. That run also featured a service ace from
Kierra Freeman to make it 11-8 and ended with another kill by Salgado to make it 13-9.
ENMU came back to tie it at 14-14 before four straight points by the Falcons on another ENMU service error, an ace by Gonzalez, a kill by Grimes and a kill by Johnson to make it 18-14. The kills continued for Johnson and Grimes as they combined for five kills in a span of seven points between the two teams, the last one coming from Johnson to make it 21-16 Falcons. UTPB's final two points of the 25-21 win in the second set came via an ENMU attack error to get it to match point (24-20) and a service error to end it. It was the second set in a row that ended with an ENMU service error on the final point.
ENMU hit just .077 precent (11 kills, 8 errors) in each of the first two sets, and had eight combined service errors between the two sets.
UTPB, meanwhile, hit above .200 percent and had just four attack errors in each of the first two sets.
For the third set in a row, UTPB trailed early, this time dropping the first five points of the set. The Falcons would come back to tie it at 7-7 on back-to-back kills by Salgado, but would never take a lead in the set. Falling behind 13-10 after three straight UTPB attack errors and 16-11 after another attack error, the Falcons were never able to recover and dropped the set 25-19.
The two teams went back-and-forth in the fourth set as UTPB led 6-2, trailed 10-7 and 12-8, and led again at 16-13 and 18-14. The Falcons later led 22-20 after back-to-back attack errors by the Greyhounds, but fell behind 24-23 after three kills by ENMU's Addison Bartlett to tie it (23-23) before a kill by Aaliyah Butler put the Greyhounds just one point away from forcing a fifth set.
Fortunately for UTPB, Salgado stepped up with a kill on the assist from Freeman to tie it at 24-24,
Sydney Bradley and
Nickilah Whatley rose up for an assisted block to put the Falcons in front 25-24, and then the 11th and final attack error of the set for ENMU was all she wrote as UTPB took it by a final score of 26-24.
For the second match in a row and for the second time in a row against ENMU, UTPB had three players with a double-double. Salgado totaled 12 kills and 15 digs, Freeman had 18 assists and 16 digs, and Gonzalez had 12 assists and 11 digs. It was the second match in a row with a double-double for both of UTPB's setters (Freeman & Gonzalez). In addition, It was a battle between two of the top-10 individual leaders in kills in the LSC (Salgado, Sophia Valdez), and it was Salgado winning the battle 12-9.
To lead the Falcons' defensive effort, Whatley totaled seven blocks, tying her second-highest number of the season, while
Isabel Rodriguez chipped in with 16 digs, her second-highest total of the season.
"We had another full-team effort today against ENMU," said Head Coach
Melissa Avila. "We have been talking about stringing two good days together, and we were able to do that on this road trip. We have competed, played clean volleyball, and worked so well together. Defensively again, we got a lot of quality digs that allowed us to be offensive in transition, and we blocked really well. I am proud of the week we have had, and we are excited to be home one last time this weekend."
Similarly to Friday's match at West Texas A&M University, the Falcons trailed in most team statistical categories, this time trailing in points (69-59), kills (50-43), aces (10-6) and assists (49-38).
Next up, UTPB heads back to Odessa, Texas, for its final two home matches of the season. The Falcons will take on Lubbock Christian University at 6 p.m. on Friday, October 30, followed by Senior Day and the final home match of the year against Midwestern State University at 1 p.m. on Saturday, October 31 (Halloween).
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