THE RUNDOWN
The DBU Volleyball team pushed UT Tyler to the brink of a final set, but ultimately fell 3-1 on Tuesday night at the Burg Center. In a match that stayed competitive throughout, DBU (1-6) sat on set point twice before UT Tyler (7-0) closed the evening's contest with a flurry of kills.

DBU started the scoring with a service ace from Baylee Whitehead, but UT Tyler knotted things up with a block across the middle of the net. A Hannah Callison kill gave the visiting squad the lead, and UT Tyler held an advantage for the rest of the opening set. After falling behind by as much as six points, DBU fought back and eventually pulled to within one at 24-23. Junior Carly Earnest poured in three of her four opening-set kills in rapid succession, and Cathy Kokel's squad challenged the visiting Patriots at set point. Kylee Becker, who had a team-high 16 kills, closed the door on DBU as UT Tyler clinched a 1-0 lead.

A back-and-forth start to the second set appeared to mirror the first set, as UT Tyler quickly gained the upper hand while DBU worked to stay close. A Sofia Black service ace brought the home Lady Patriots to within two at 15-13. Three more points – all via UT Tyler errors – would be all DBU could contribute on the scoreboard the rest of the way, as a 7-0 run gave the visiting Patriots the 25-16 win and a 2-0 advantage. 

In a bounce-back third set, DBU took control down the stretch to extend the match. After being tied at 10 apiece, a pair of kills from Alyssa Parks gave DBU the lead – a lead that held up for the rest of the set. Alyssa Pevehouse shored up the back line of defense, and DBU stiffened up enough against the offensive onslaught from UT Tyler to provide a cushion. Parks, who led the team with four total blocks, helped anchor the middle as DBU stretched their lead to eight points before securing the 25-19 win.

Looking to push the match to a decisive fifth set, DBU stayed active on both ends of the court and played aggressively in a set that was close the whole way. A UT Tyler service error gave DBU a 24-23 edge, and the home Lady Patriots once again brushed with set point at 25-24 on a Parks kill from a timely Macey Winburn pass. After ten ties and five lead changes, it was ultimately UT Tyler who scored the final points and snagged a 3-1 victory.    

THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
- After only recording one service ace in their most recent outing, DBU recorded four possession-opening scores.
- Alyssa Pevehouse extended her double-digit digs streak to 19 matches with 22 vs UT Tyler.
- Macey Winburn (22) and Kayla Brock (15) both recorded double-digit assists.


CATHY KOKEL ON HER TEAM'S EFFORT DOWN THE STRETCH
"I am really proud of our serve and pass game. The girls won that part of the game tonight. In the last two sets we came alive offensively. We played well but need more of those last two sets tomorrow."
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
3 – Kayla Brock's service aces, which more than doubles her season total entering tonight's match (2).
.333 – Alyssa Parks' team-leading attack percentage.
8 – DBU recorded 8 total team blocks.

UP NEXT
DBU and UT Tyler face off again at the Burg Center at 7:00pm on Wednesday night.