STEPHENVILLE – Tarleton State Volleyball dropped to the UT Arlington Mavericks at Wisdom Gym on Monday evening, 3-1.
The Texans (7-19 overall, 2-11 WAC) lost in four sets to the conference-leading Mavericks (24-2, 14-0), 11-25, 25-16, 14-25, 16-25.
Tarleton remains two matches behind Seattle U and Abilene Christian, who each have four conference wins. Tarleton will play Utah Valley on Thursday and Seattle U on Saturday to close out the regular season.
Allison Bryant notched nine kills against the Mavericks, bringing her season total to 387. Bryant set the new record for most kills in a Tarleton Division I season, previously held by Lauren Kersey, who had 381 kills in 2021.
Emma Burke led the Texans with 11 kills on an efficient .400 attack percentage. Monday evening marked Burke’s second consecutive match with double-digit kills and her eighth overall this season.
Madison Frank posted a team-high .538 hitting percentage, tallying eight kills on 13 total attacks. Frank also led the Purple and White with two blocks. LaNeah Lara notched eight kills on a .250 percentage.
Megan Hodges registered 36 assists, her third consecutive match of 30-plus in that category. Hodges currently ranks among the top ten in the WAC in both total assists and assists per set. Emma Halcomb led the team with 15 digs.
The Mavericks got out to a hot start in the opening period, taking a commanding 11-3 lead on a run that included three service aces. The Purple and White attempted to rally off back-to-back kills from Burke but could not erase the deficit. The Texans dropped the first set, 11-25.
Tarleton responded in dominant fashion during the second stanza, jumping to an early 7-2 lead off a pair of kills from Bryant and Lara. Tarleton kept their newfound momentum going at the 17-11 point thanks to an ace from Tehana Mo’o. The Purple and White ended the second frame on a 5-1 run that included an ace from Hodges, followed by a block from Burke and Bryant. A kill by Mo’o notched the set victory for the Texans, who handed the Mavericks their first set loss in two matches, 25-16.
Both squads battled in the third stanza, keeping it close. Bryant registered an ace to bring the Texans within two points midway through the set, 11-13. However, the Mavericks pulled away on an 8-1 run and closed out the third frame with a 25-14 victory.
In the fourth set, the Texans found themselves trailing, 7-6 after a chain of kills from Frank and Lara. Tarleton kept within three points until UTA sparked a 9-1 run, taking advantage of the fourth stanza. Tarleton State couldn’t find their groove in time, dropping the fourth set, 16-25.
The Texans tallied 45 total kills, 39 assists, and 38 digs. Tarleton also compiled three aces and three blocks on Monday.
Tarleton State Volleyball will have three days off before heading on their final road trip of the regular season. The Purple and White are set to face Utah Valley on Thursday at 7 p.m. CT. The match will be streamed on ESPN+.
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