ODESSA, TEXAS (September 26, 2026) – For the second day in a row, The University of Texas Permian Basin women's volleyball team fell at home in five sets, dropping a 3-2 (21-25, 25-23, 24-26, 25-21, 25-11) decision to Oklahoma Christian University on Saturday.
After falling in five sets on Friday night against Cameron University, UTPB rebounded to win the first set on Saturday, winning the final three points on an OC attack error followed by back-to-back kills by
Makenna Grimes and
Kaitlyn Salgado to secure the 25-21 win.
In addition, the UTPB defense showed off an improved start from how the previous night ended, holding the Eagles to six kills and six attack errors (.000 percent) halfway through the first set before finishing the set holding the Eagles to just .100 percent hitting (11 kills, 7 errors). Then in the second set, UTPB again held the Eagles to .000 percent hitting (3 kills, 3 errors) halfway through the set.
Each of the first three sets were close until the very end, but in set number two, it was OC coming out on top after the two teams alternated the final six points and the Eagles never allowed the Falcons to tie it. A service ace by
Kierra Freeman made it a 22-21 deficit, a kill by
Nickilah Whatley made it a 23-22 deficit, and a kill by Salgado made it a 24-23 deficit before a UTPB service error to end it 25-23.
It was one of seven service errors in the match for the Falcons after committing 13 service errors the night before.
UTPB hit north of .200 percent in each of the first two sets while OC hit below .200 in both, but it was still 1-1 on the scoreboard.
The third set was back-and-forth, and down 24-23, the eighth and final lead change of the set saw UTPB again win the final three points of the frame, this time to earn a 26-24 victory. The set had already featured six ties and five lead changes just at the halfway point, and it ended with 12 ties to go along with the eight lead changes.
It was also the third set in a row to start the match with at least 14 kills for UTPB, which already through three sets had a trio of players with a double-double.
After being unable to close out the match in a 25-21 loss in the fourth set, UTPB then found itself behind the eight ball in the fifth set, trailing 4-1 after back-to-back service aces by the Eagles' Emma Eyster and ultimately trailing by a score of 6-1. OC began the fifth set with three kills and zero attack errors (.429 percent) during the first seven points.
UTPB battled back to down 7-6 after a 4-0 run on an Eagles' service error, a service ace by
Emma Gonzalez, a kill by Grimes and a solo block by
Precious Johnson.
However, three straight kills by three different Eagles' players made it an 11-7 lead for OC, and later the most important call of the match occurred when a dig by the Falcons leading to a kill was challenged by the Eagles' head coach, and the challenge was successful, instead resulting in a kill for OC to make it a 12-9 lead instead of a one-point margin (11-10).
Starting with that call, four of the final six points of the match went to the Eagles, including a pair of kills by Kenzy McArtor on the Eagles' final two points to help finish off a 15-11 win.
In the end, OC hit over .250 percent in each of the final two sets to earn the win.
Kills for the match were even at 62 apiece as the two teams hit within .001 percent of each other.
Whatley and Salgado both led UTPB with 14 kills while
Addison Parks added 11 kills and had four kills in the second set.
Salgado totaled 14 kills and 16 digs for the second match in a row while the setters, Freeman (27 assists, 18 digs) and Gonzalez (17 assists, 17 digs), both notched a double-double as well.
With a double-double and 27 assists, Freeman surpassed the 1,000-career assist mark as a junior.
Libero
Isabel Rodriguez was the fourth and final Falcon to reach the 15-dig mark in the match.
It was only the second home match for UTPB (5-5 overall, 0-4 Lone Star Conference) vs. OC (8-7, 2-2) since their first battle in 2021, and it was the first win for the Eagles in their last four conference matches against the Falcons. So far this season in LSC action, OC has lost to UT Dallas 3-0, defeated (RV) UT Tyler 3-1, and took a set off of No. 6 Angelo State last night (3-1).
UTPB finishes off a three-match homestand next week in an early-week matchup against Western New Mexico University starting at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, September 29.
