THE RUNDOWN
DBU (0-1) fell to UT Tyler (1-0) in four sets on Tuesday evening in Tyler, Texas. Senior Alyssa Pevehouse recorded a team high 26 digs, while sophomore Savannah Whitfield notched a career-best 13 kills.
 
DBU jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead in the opening set before both teams settled into a back-and-forth contest. Neither team saw their lead grow larger than two points, as both squads worked to get to set point. Whitfield led the charge offensively with five kills in the opening frame, the last of which clinched a 1-0 advantage for DBU.
 
Following a 27-25 win, DBU carried momentum over to the second set and found themselves up 5-2 early. A pair of Bailey Hebert kills and a Pevehouse service ace set the tone, and the Lady Patriots extended the lead by as much as four at the halfway mark of the set. After pulling even, UT Tyler poured in five consecutive points. DBU responded by scoring five of the next six, and the rest of the set went back and forth until back-to-back UT Tyler kills closed out a 28-26 set.
 
After pulling even at one set apiece, UT Tyler put together a string of seven straight points and didn't look back. A 10-1 start to the third set gave the home squad a surge of momentum, and the lead eventually grew to 12. Freshman Abby Brown notched consecutive kills midway through the set to bring DBU back to within eight at 17-9. Whitfield pitched in two more kills and a block assist down the stretch, but the UT Tyler offense had enough firepower to secure a 2-1 advantage.
 
A trio of Macey Winburn assists kept DBU close in the early stages of the fourth set, but a 9-1 run by UT Tyler separated the two teams for the rest of the match. A strong closing stretch gave UT Tyler the 25-10 win.
 
THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
- Savannah Whitfield's career high 13 kills and 35 attacks led the team.
- Abby Brown and Allison Shidaker both recorded a .400 hitting percentage.
- Alyssa Pevehouse has now notched double digit digs in 13 consecutive matches dating back to October 11, 2019.
 
CATHY KOKEL ON A TOUGH LOSS AT UT TYLER
"We will work on how to build from here, and I'm hopeful we can turn the game around by tomorrow."
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
60 – Total digs recorded by DBU.
21 – Assists from Macey Winburn.
.367 – DBU hit percentage in the second set.

UP NEXT
The Lady Patriots will face UT Tyler tomorrow at 6:00 pm at the Louise Herrington Patriot Center for the second of two regular season meetings.