THE RUNDOWN
The DBU Lady Patriots (9-5, 3-1) fell to their like-named foes, the UT Tyler Patriots (7-5, 4-0) in a five-set thriller on Saturday in Tyler. No set was decided by less than three points.
 
A strong defensive showing by UTT slowed the roll of the DBU offense in the first frame. Delaney Fuller and Karly Wells were limited to three kills each in the first, while the DBU offense was held to a sub-.100 hitting percentage. Trailing 9-14, DBU evened the score at 16-16, but UTT came away with the first.
 
DBU responded in the second set with a slim 12-9 lead. Following a timeout, UTT went on a 5-1 run, but DBU swung back with three consecutive points. The back-and-forth play continued from there until the squad from Dallas even the set count at one apiece.
 
DBU took another marginal lead to begin the third. Trailing 10-6, UTT tied the game at 12-12. Tight play, the theme of the day, ensued for the remainder of set three until the team from East Texas went up 2-1 in the set count.
 
Needing to take the fourth to stay alive, DBU's offense found a rhythm. After hitting below .230 in each of the first three sets, the Lady Patriots hit .273 in the fourth behind six kills from Fuller and five by Wells. Following an 11-11 start, DBU led the rest of the way to force a fifth frame.
 
The deciding set was a microcosm of the match at large, bar a .423 showing by the DBU offense. Splitting the first 10 rallies, neither squad separated itself by more than two points until DBU went ahead 12-9, forcing a UTT timeout. The break worked to the home team's advantage, as UTT knotted the game at 12-12 and eventually forced deuce play. DBU had match point on three occasions, but UTT answered each time until they took the match with an 18-16 finish in the fifth.
 
THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
- DBU and UT Tyler are even in the season series, 1-1. Both matches were played to five sets.
- DBU is 3-1 in five-set matches this season.
- Delaney Fuller (20 kills, 13 digs), Aryn Walton (56 assists, 15 digs), and Karly Wells (21 kills, 13 digs) each recorded a double-double.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
10 - Lindsey Otero registered a career-high 10 blocks, including a career-high six solo blocks.
46 - There were 46 ties and 19 lead changes in the match.
1,536 - Aryn Walton reached 1,536 career assists on Saturday, passing Vickie Mundell for fifth on the program's all-time list. She also became the sixth Lady Patriot in school history to reach 1,500 career assists.
 
UP NEXT
DBU stays on the road next weekend with matches against St. Edward's on Friday, October 11, and St. Mary's on Saturday, October 12. Read Full Article