WICHITA FALLS, Texas -- Hot-swinging UT Tyler surged past Midwestern State in four sets -- 23-25, 25-18, 25-8, 25-23 -- in Lone Star Conference play Saturday afternoon at D.L. Ligon Coliseum.
The Patriots (12-9, 6-4 LSC) hit .318 as a team to overcome one of MSU's most efficient offensive performances of the season.
Sophomore outside hitters Brylee Peterson (16 kills/.483) and Brielle Worley (14 kills/.462) combined for 30 kills, while junior middle blocker Bonnie Hegarty put down nine kills on 19 swings without an error.
Midwestern State, who posted a .200-or-better team hitting percentage for the fourth time this season, finished the match with a .226 effort led by Riley Rabeaux's 13-kill performance.
The Mustangs were strong in the middle with freshman
Isabella Dickens logged nine kills on 16 attacks with a single error to hit .500, while senior
Elise Smith put down seven kills on 16 swings with a single error to hit .375.
Midwestern rode Rabedeaux's hot start in the opening set as the Poulso, Washington, native logged five kills on eight attempts to spur a 15-kill team effort.
With scored tied 23-23, Dickens delivered her third kill of the set before sophomore
Taygon Jones put away the set with a service ace.
UT Tyler controlled the net on the way to claiming the second and third sets by scores of 25-18 and 25-8. The Patriots would combine for 12 blocks as Hegarty and Maiya Pena led the way with three each.
The teams locked in a slugfest in the fourth set as the Mustangs managed to put away 15 kills with one error for a .519 hitting percentage. But UT Tyler was up to the task as the Patriots posted 19 kills with just three errors for a .410 percentage.
A Midwestern State service error following a Patriot timeout with the score tied at 23-23 in the fourth set up a match clinching kill by Shaye Koski.
Smith led the Mustangs at the net with four total blocks, while
Arrianna Fields added three.
Jones led back row efforts with 19 digs, while freshman
Alayna Guerrero polished off a double-double with 14 assists and 10 digs.
Midwestern State dropped its fourth consecutive match to fall to 4-18 overall and to 1-9 in league play.
The Mustangs return to action Wednesday night against Texas Woman's at Kitty Magee Arena in Denton. First serve is set for 6 p.m.
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-- MSUMustangs.com --