Box Score


RICHARDSON, Texas – LeTourneau University's volleyball team dropped its first American Southwest Conference match at the University of Texas at Dallas Saturday, falling 25-14, 25-18, 25-18.

The Shorthanded YellowJackets (2-3, 0-1 ASC) finished with 21 kills and 18 attack errors. The Comets (2-3), 1-0 ASC) had 39 kills and 19 errors. LETU hit .034, while UT Dallas had a .196 hitting percentage.

LeTourneau fell down early in the first set, trailing 5-0 before a putaway by Maddy Denega from Reina Lawson got the ball rolling for the YellowJackets. LETU would battle back tying the game at nine after a kill by Allison Smith from Lawson. An attack error by the Jackets and a kill from UT Dallas' Allison Owen put the Comets up, 12-9. LETU could not find their way back as UT Dallas took the first set.

The Jackets tallied nine kills in 33 swings in the second set, taking a 6-3 lead after a big block from Smith and Kaci Monk and a kill by Hannah Payan. UT Dallas put together a 7-2 run to claim the lead, 9-8. UTD would lead the rest of the set, slamming down 12 kills in 31 attacks. UT Dallas hit .226, while the YellowJackets put together a .03 attack rate. LETU struggled in the third set, finishing with five kills and five errors. The Comets had 17 kills against eight errors for a .257 attack rate. Despite the set featuring nine ties and six lead changes, the Jackets could not hold on, ultimately falling in the set.

LETU's Monk had eight kills, three blocks, and a serving ace. Payan finished with five kills and Natalie Connelly with two. Smith contributed four blocks, while Connelly had three. Lawson had 18 assists and six digs, while Ty Shannon had two assists and nine digs. Bethany Gilbreath added six digs. UT Dallas' Erin Rogers had 10 kills.

The YellowJackets will face off against cross town rival East Texas Baptists 6 p.m. Tuesday in its home opener.