ODESSA, Texas (September 25, 2026) – Playing on its home floor for the first time in conference action this season, The University of Texas Permian Basin volleyball team dropped the second and third sets by just two points and was unable to come out on top in the fifth set, falling 3-2 (17-25, 25-23, 26-24, 15-25, 15-12) against Cameron University.
It was a hot start for UTPB (5-4 overall, 0-3 Lone Star Conference), which never trailed in the first set, started the match with 15 kills and zero attack errors, and totaled 19 kills in what was ultimately a 25-17 first-set victory. UTPB hit .417 percent and saw five Falcons record at least three kills in the opening set.
The Falcons, however, could not replicate their hot start in the opening set during each of the next two sets. UTPB's only lead in the second set was 1-0. After trailing by scores of 5-1, 16-10 and 20-15 throughout the set, the Falcons cut it to just a one-point margin (down 24-23) following back-to-back points on a kill by
Precious Johnson and a service ace by
Kaitlyn Salgado, but were unable to complete the comeback after an attack error to end it at 25-23.
The third set featured six ties and five lead changes. UTPB was having trouble stringing multiple points together and failed to record three points in a row until a big 8-0 run that put the Falcons just two points away from winning the set. During the run, UTPB took the lead at 20-19 on the 10th kill of the match by
Makenna Grimes, and then UTPB's blocking game began to make an impact, extending multiple rallies and also resulting in an assisted block by Johnson and Grimes to make it 21-19. Two points later, another kill by Grimes again on the assist from
Emma Gonzalez made it 23-19. However, Cameron would not be denied a 2-1 lead, winning seven of the final eight points of the set, including each of the final three points on kills by Presleigh Roest to take the Aggies from down 24-23 and into a 26-24 victory.
Cameron concentrated its serve and attack on UTPB's
Giselle Orellana, who responded with 10 digs in the second set alone and finished with 30 digs for the match.
Needing to bounce back in the fourth set after dropping the previous two sets by just two points each, UTPB started off the set with four kills and zero attack errors, leading to an early 6-2 advantage.
Nickilah Whatley then stepped up with back-to-back kills to make it a 13-8 lead, her 10th and 11th kills of the match. As the set continued, the seventh block of the match by Johnson made it a 15-9 lead, the third ace of the match by Salgado made it 18-12, and then the seventh and final kill of the set by Whatley sealed the 10-point win (25-15).
After dominant wins in the first and fourth sets for UTPB and two narrow wins in the second and third sets for Cameron, the two teams were in for a back-and-forth fifth set that featured eight ties and three lead changes. Neither team would lead by more than two points in the set until the final point. Tied at 10-10, the most crucial point of the night saw UTPB commit its 13th and final service error of the match. That was followed by another kill by Roest for the Aggies, and then the Falcons had no answers for a kill from the middle by Caitlyn Cornell to get Cameron to match point (up 14-12). A final kill by the head coach's daughter, Taylor Silva, was all she wrote in a 15-12 final decision.
UTPB totaled at least 14 kills in each of the first four sets of the night and hit .306 percent in the fourth set while holding Cameron to -0.029 percent. In the final set, however, it was UTPB being held to below .100 percent hitting (.042 percent) for the first time during the match.
Grimes (15), Salgado (14) Whatley (13) and Orellana (10) all reached double-digit kills for UTPB while
Kierra Freeman dished out 33 assists and Gonzalez had 28 assists. In addition, a trio of double-doubles (kills & digs) were recorded by Orellana (10 & 30), Salgado (14 &16) and Whatley (13 & 10).
Cornell led Cameron with 11 kills for the match and was followed by Roest with nine.
UTPB returns to the court tomorrow (Sept 26) as they host Oklahoma Christian University. The "Battle of the Birds" between the Falcons and the Eagles is scheduled to start at 2 p.m. as the Falcons look to earn their first conference win of the season.
