ST. GEORGE, UT – No. 18 Tarleton couldn't overcome its offensive woes and suffered a four-set loss to Dixie State in the opening match of the DSU Invitational Thursday night.
 
Tarleton struggled to land points for the entire match, hitting .072 as a team with 31 errors. Tarleton's lone set victory came in the second on the strength of a .188 team hitting percentage. Adriana Darthuy was the team's offensive leader with 14 kills on a .270 hit percentage. She boasted a double-double performance with a team-high 19 digs.
 
After Dixie State took the opening set 25-19, Tarleton bounced back to take the second 25-21. Out of a timeout with Tarleton trailing 10-6, Sofia Tonga landed a kill shot to spark an 11-5 Tarleton run that turned a 10-6 deficit into a 17-15 lead. Tarleton scored eight of the next 14 points to secure the win and even up the match.
 
Dixie State edged out Tarleton 25-21 and 25-23 in the final two sets to hand the TexAnns their second loss of the season.
 
Behind Darthuy's 14 kills, Hannah McManus landed eight kills while Tonga had six. Blanca Izquierdo and Kayla Brannon each had 16 assists on the night while Darthuy (19) and Adrianna Knutson (15) led the way in digs. McManus and Tonga each had five blocks.
 
Tarleton will look to get back in the win column tomorrow afternoon with a 12:30 showdown against Colorado-Colorado Springs in St. George.