STEPHENVILLE – Tarleton State Volleyball won 3-2 (25-22, 27-25, 25-20, 25-23, 15-8) against UT Arlington in Wisdom Gym on Thursday evening. The Texans are now 2-1 in conference play and 8-7 overall.
Madison Rice-Lockett led the Texans attack with 16 kills, 11 digs, and four blocks, recording her fourth double-double of the season. Alyssa Dinh and Madison Frank followed with 10 kills apiece. Dinh led the Texans block game with 11 blocks, recording her first double-double of the season and a career-high.
Morgan Carter led the Texans in the back row with 23 digs and six assists. Megan Hodges set the Texan offense up well, tallying 27 assists and eight digs. Teya Nguyen also attributed the Texan offense with 21 assists and 11 digs, notching her second double-double of the season.
“I am super proud of the fight our team had in defeating the reigning WAC champion,” said Head Coach Jazymne Johnson. “Alyssa Dinh and Madison Rice-Lockett had great performances, recording double-doubles and our setters did a great job distributing the ball. Overall, I am so proud of them and the fight that they showed tonight”
The Texans opened the first frame slow but quickly gained their momentum with kills from Emma Burke and Frank. An early kill from Dinh added to the Texans’ strike. The Mavericks went on a six-point run but the Texans quickly answered with a seven-point run of their own. Leddy Rae-Guinn tallied an ace to help fuel the Texans’ run. A string of kills from Mo’o, Peterson, and Rice-Lockett, along with multiple block assists by Dinh and Peterson, pushed Tarleton State ahead 11-10. The Texans extended their lead with back-to-back points from Rice-Lockett and capitalized on several opponent errors to move in front 16-13. Although the set tightened late at 21-21, Tarleton State regrouped out of a timeout and finished strong. Peterson, Dinh, and Burke came up big at the net with key kills and blocks, while Carter set up the final two points. The set ended on a block by Peterson and Burke to reach set point, followed by a kill from Peterson to secure a 25-22 victory for the Texans.
In the second set, Tarleton State struck first with a kill from Frank and quickly followed with kills from Mo’o and Burke, alongside a service ace from Guinn, to grab early momentum and a 6-2 advantage. Nguyen extended the lead with an ace, while Rice-Lockett and Frank powered through with kills to push the Texans ahead 9-3. Tarleton State kept the pressure on as Rice-Lockett and Dinh found success at the net, and Peterson added a kill to make it 12-8. The Texans surged again with back-to-back kills from Rice-Lockett and Frank, coupled with a solo block from Dinh, stretching their edge to 20-15. Despite Tarleton State’s lead, momentum swung late as errors and tough serving allowed the set to tie at 20-20. Peterson momentarily put the Texans back in front with a kill, and Burke and Frank combined for a block to reach set point at 24-22. However, Tarleton State couldn’t close it out, as the frame slipped away in extra points. A late block against Burke gave the opponent a match-point opportunity, and despite a strong response from Burke to fight it off, the Texans ultimately dropped the set 27-25, evening the match at one set apiece.
In the third set, Tarleton State opened with a quick kill from Frank but struggled to find rhythm as early service errors kept the score close. The Texans found a spark when Rice-Lockett delivered a kill and followed with a service ace to even the frame at 5-5. Peterson and Dinh added a block to push Tarleton State back in front, and Rice-Lockett, Dinh, and Burke each chipped in kills to give the Texans momentum midway through the set. Nguyen contributed an ace, and back-to-back kills from Rice-Lockett and Dinh helped Tarleton surge to a 15-13 lead. From there, though, the momentum shifted. After the Texans forced a timeout at 15-13, a run of errors at the net allowed the Mavericks to storm back, and Tarleton State suddenly trailed 20-17. Despite a late kill from Frank and a block from Rice-Lockett and Dinh to keep the set within reach, the Texans could not recover. The opponent closed out the frame with a final push, and despite Frank tallying one more kill to fight off match point, Tarleton ultimately dropped the set 25-20
Tarleton State battled through a back-and-forth start, trading points with UT Arlington as the set opened. Early kills from Dinh and Mo’o kept the Texans on pace, while steady setting from Nguyen helped spread the offense. Midway through the frame, Tarleton State found momentum. Back-to-back kills from Dinh and Mo’o tied the score at 14-14, and a block from Burke and Rice-Lockett shifted momentum toward the Texans. Peterson chipped in with a key kill, and Frank added an important swing to keep Tarleton State within striking distance. In the closing stretch, the Texans’ front line came alive. Rice-Lockett and Burke combined for a block, while Frank and Mo’o delivered clutch kills to push Tarleton ahead. The Texans earned set point at 24–21, and despite UT Arlington fending off two chances, a final service error sealed the frame. Tarleton State closed out set four with a 25–23 win, evening the match at 2–2 and forcing a decisive fifth set.
Tarleton came out strong in the decisive fifth set, quickly taking control behind a block from Rice-Lockett and Burke, followed by a kill from Rice-Lockett to surge ahead 3–0. Mo’o added another kill to extend the lead, forcing UT Arlington to burn both timeouts early. The Texans kept the pressure on as Frank connected on a powerful swing, and Peterson joined Dinh on a block to maintain the momentum. Carter then delivered a crucial service ace to push Tarleton to match point. From there, Burke and Peterson sealed the set with a block to close out the frame 15–8. Tarleton dominated the fifth set to secure the 3–2 victory, completing the comeback and defending the home court.
Tarleton State Volleyball will return to Wisdom Gym on Thursday to take on Utah Tech for Pink Out.
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