ODESSA, Texas (September 12, 2026) – The final match before the start of Lone Star Conference action saw the UT Permian Basin volleyball team grind out a tough 3-2 (16-25, 25-23, 25-23, 21-25, 17-15) victory over St. Edward's University during the final day of the LSC Challenge inside the Falcon Dome. It was the Falcons' first of two matches in a one-week span against SEU.
Saturday's match gave the Falcons an opportunity to measure their progress against the same opponent before this year's conference schedule begins.
Coming into the match, the UTPB (5-1 overall) defense faced the challenge of slowing down SEU's (5-5) high-powered offense.
One of the nation's most effective defenses, UTPB was limiting opponents to a .111 hitting percentage, the 15th-best mark in NCAA Division II. The Falcons also came into the match averaging 1.94 aces, 2.00 blocks and 17.82 digs per set (top-40 nationally), creating pressure in each phase before opponents can settle into their offense.
SEU, meanwhile, has developed one of the more productive attacks in the LSC. The Hilltoppers ranked second in the conference and top-50 nationally with 13.46 kills per set while their 12.31 assists per set ranked fourth in the LSC and top-60 in DII. Just last night, SEU delivered one of the most efficient attacking performances in program history, committing only eight errors and hitting .461 3-0 sweep of UT Dallas. The Hilltoppers' .461 hitting percentage was their highest since setting the program's single-match record at .481 in 2013.
With the focus coming in on defense, the offense for UTPB did not get off to a hot start as the Falcons hit -.079 percent with just five kills and eight attack errors in an opening-set defeat.
Then in the second set, with the score at a 15-6 Hilltoppers' advantage, UTPB was hitting .000 percent (4, kills, 4 errors) while SEU was nearly perfect with 10 kills and zero attack errors (.500 percent) in the set. However, after ultimately trailing by 10 (17-7), UTPB began to chip away, getting its deficit down to seven (17-10) on back-to-back kills by
Kaitlyn Salgado, down to four (19-15) again on back-to-back kills by Salgado, and down to three (20-17) on a kill by
Makenna Grimes.
A point for SEU on an overturned challenge by the Hilltoppers made it 23-20, but did not stop the Falcons' momentum as each of the final six points of the set were won by UTPB. A service ace by
Giselle Orellana made it a two-point deficit (23-21), a block assist by
Sydney Bradley and
Nickilah Whatley made it a one-point margin (23-22), another kill by Salgado tied it at 23-23, and then back-to-back SEU attack errors ended the set and tied the match at one set apiece.
It was an incredible comeback for the Falcons, who went from hitting -.250 percent 12 points into the set to hitting a positive .216 percent for the set with double the number of kills (16) as attack errors (8).
The lead at 24-23 in the second set was UTPB's first lead of the match. The Falcons were paced by Salgado with eight kills in the second set. The set also featured the Falcon debut for
Addison Parks, who recorded her first-career kill to make it 17-8 and start UTPB's 18-6 run to finish the set. Parks would add another kill to make it a 23-20 deficit and start UTPB's 6-0 run to win the set.
It took nearly two sets for UTPB to come to life, and in the third set UTPB totaled five blocks, including three block assists by the pairing of Bradley and Whatley, the last of which gave the Falcons a 15-10 advantage. Then clinging to a 23-22 lead, a kill by Parks made it 24-22 and a kill by Whatley won it 25-23. UTPB held SEU to .068 percent hitting in the third set.
Whatley again made her impact felt in the fifth set, serving during a 6-0 UTPB run to take a 7-3 lead, a run that featured three SEU attack errors and ended with a solo block by
Precious Johnson. A kill by Salgado stopped a 3-0 Hilltoppers' run and made it an 8-6 lead, and then a kill by Johnson made it 9-6. A pair of service errors by SEU also contributed to what would be an 11-9 lead for the Falcons.
The match, however, was not finished yet as SEU battled back to tie it at 13-13. UTPB had match point twice after another service error by the Hilltoppers (up 14-13) and after a kill by Salgado (up 15-14). Tied at 15-15, Salgado pushed UTPB over the top with back-to-back kills to win the match.
Salgado recorded three of her six kills in the fifth set on the final three points by the Falcons. She led all players with 20 kills and was followed by Bradley with nine kills, Parks with eight kills in her debut, and Grimes with seven kills.
Somehow, both teams hit .142 percent for the match. Whatley totaled eight block assists and Bradley had a hand in six block assists to help lead the Falcons' defense, and setters
Kierra Freeman (25 assists, 12 digs) and
Emma Gonzalez (13 assists, 11 digs) both recorded double-doubles.
UTPB hit over .200 percent in each of its winning sets.
For the first time in the last three seasons, the Falcons will open up Lone Star Conference play on the road. UTPB travels to Austin, Texas, for a rematch against St. Edward's starting at 6 p.m. on Friday, September 18, from SEU's Recreation and Athletics Center.
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