PROVO, Utah - Texan volleyball dropped to Utah Valley 3-0 (25-20, 25-16, 25-23) on Saturday evening at Smith Fieldhouse.
Madison Rice-Lockett led the Texans at the net with seven kills, she also totaled four blocks. LaNeah Lara and Madison Frank followed with five kills apiece. Emma Burke led the Tarleton State defense with eight blocks. Morgan Carter tallied 10 digs for the Texans, leading them in the back row.
Megan Hodges, setter for the Texans, posted 11 assists and Teya Nguyen totaled 10 assists.
The Texans opened set one with a huge kill from Frank starting their momentum off well trading the first four points. Lara followed with a strong finish at the net. Burke kept the Texans steady with a pair of kills and later teamed up with Breannah Peterson for a block. After falling behind, the Texans rallied with a run fueled by Carter's serving, as Burke, Rice-Locket, and Alyssa Dinh combined for back-to-back defensive stops before Burke and Rice-Locket added kills to close the gap. Peterson made an immediate impact off the bench with multiple kills, while Rice-Locket came up with a solo block to stall Utah Valley's run. Lara continued to produce on the outside, keeping Tarleton State within reach, and the Texans pulled back to keep the match within two late at 21-19. Despite the strong push and several key plays down the stretch, Tarleton State ultimately dropped the opening frame 25-20.
Tarleton State struck first in the second set as Frank opened with a kill, followed quickly by a block from Frank and Burke to give the Texans an early spark. Lara added a finish on the outside, and Burke remained steady at the net with both offensive and defensive plays. Peterson provided another lift off the bench, connecting on a kill with help from Nguyen, who also set up Dinh and Rice-Locket for key points to keep the offense moving. Burke and Rice-Locket combined for a block to slow momentum midway through, and Frank notched her second kill of the frame off a Hodges assist. Late in the set, Rice-Locket put down another strong swing, while Carter steadied the back row and served during a short Texans run that cut into the deficit. Despite the late push, Tarleton State couldn't overcome a string of miscues down the stretch and fell 25-16 in the second set.
Tarleton State came out energized in the third set, with Rice-Locket delivering the first kill of the frame for the Texans and Frank following with an early strike. Burke and Rice-Locket combined for a block to keep the momentum rolling, and Tehana Mo'o chipped in a kill to keep the Texans within reach. Peterson and Nguyen sparked the offense midway through, connecting for a pair of points, before Carter took over at the service line with an ace and back-to-back plays that tied the score at 9–9. The Texans' front line made its presence felt as Rice-Locket and Burke each recorded solo blocks, while Frank added another kill to swing momentum back to Tarleton State. Down the stretch, Burke and Peterson teamed up for a block and Mo'o added a late kill to bring the Texans even again at 21–21. Rice-Locket answered with another timely finish, and Frank kept Tarleton State in striking distance, but despite the rally, the Texans were edged in the final points and dropped the set 25–23.
The Texans will return back home to Wisdom Gym on Thursday at 6 p.m. for Purple Out and Camp Reunion.
