LAREDO, Texas (November 6, 2026) – The UT Permian Basin volleyball team closed out the match in a close fourth set and defeated Texas A&M International University by a score of 3-1 (25-19, 21-25, 25-15, 26-24) on Friday evening, just one day before the Falcons' final match of the season.
Freshman
Addison Parks led the Falcons with 12 kills, her highest total in over a month, and set a new season-high with four service aces.
Giselle Orellana followed with 11 kills and 15 digs, leading a trio of Falcons with a double-double and putting together her best match since helping lead UTPB in its first-ever win at West Texas A&M University (Oct. 23).
Setters
Kierra Freeman (21 assists, 13 digs) and
Emma Gonzalez (15 assists, 14 digs) both recorded a double-double in the same match for the third time in the Falcons' last five matches.
Also aiding the Falcons' stellar defensive effort was
Nickilah Whatley with six blocks,
Precious Johnson with four, and
Sydney Bradley and
Makenna Grimes both with three. Grimes also totaled nine kills while Bradley (.375% hitting, best hitting performance of the season) and Whatley both had seven.
It was the fifth match with double-digit blocks and fifth match with 90-plus digs for the Falcons this season.
After four lead changes occurred in a span of seven points in the middle of the first set, UTPB would open up a 20-15 lead on a kill by Bradley. Another kill by Bradley made it 21-17 and started three straight points for UTPB to make it 23-17 on an assisted block by Johnson and Grimes, helping the Falcons to a 25-19 win to kick off the weekend.
UTPB's only lead in the second set was 1-0, but after trailing by scores of 10-3, 15-7, 17-9, 19-12 and 21-15, four straight kills by the Falcons, including two from Grimes, made it just a two-point deficit (21-19). However, the Dustdevils would answer back with back-to-back kills of their own and would close out the 25-21 win to tie the match.
The Falcons were not messing around in the third set, scoring the first six points and then leading 15-7 after another 6-0 run, this one ending with an ace by
Isabel Rodriguez. Just like the first set, a kill by Bradley got UTPB to the 20-point mark (up 20-13), and then the Falcons won the final five points of the set, ending it with a 10-point win (25-15) on another kill by Bradley.
Despite UTPB leading 15-8 in the fourth set after an assisted block by Grimes and Whatley, a string of seven straight points for the Dustdevils ending with three straight aces from Ece Özdemir tied it at 15-all.
After a trio of attack errors by Parks were a part of UTPB falling behind 20-18, a successful challenge by the Falcons helped put Parks back on track with a kill to tie it at 21-21. UTPB came out of the stoppage determined to try and win the match right there as an ace by Parks made it 22-21, a kill by Johnson made it 23-21, and then even a timeout could not stop the momentum as Orellana and Johnson combined on a block to get the Falcons to match point (up 24-21).
It was not over yet, however, as TAMIU scored three straight points behind a kill from Jaylah Lumar, a service ace from Izabela Tapia and another Lumar kill to tie it one last time (24-24).
Stepping up for the Falcons was Gonzalez and Orellana, the latter of whom put down a pair of kills (both on the dish from Gonzalez) to end it.
UTPB hit .143 (13 kills, 7 errors) in the final set while holding TAMIU to 0.83%(12 kills, 8 errors), helping the Falcons overcome four aces and four blocks in the final frame by the Dustdevils.
In all, UTPB hit .190 for the match and held TAMIU to 0.70%. It was the second-lowest hitting percentage allowed by the Falcons all season long.
Looking to separate itself from the bottom six teams in the Lone Star Conference standings during the final weekend, UTPB got off to a start in that regard, improving to 9-13 overall and 4-12 in the league.
Heading into the final day of the season on Saturday, November 7, the Falcons will look to go out on a high note, battling Texas A&M University-Kingsville starting at 2 p.m.
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