ODESSA, Texas — Midwestern St. (15-12, 10-6 Lone Star) defeated UT Permian Basin (8-13, 3-12 Lone Star) 3-0 on Saturday. MSU hit .297 with 54 kills while holding a 54-34 advantage in kills and taking the sets 25-23, 25-18 and 25-22. The Mustangs secured qualification to the LSC Postseason Tournament, with one game remaining in the regular season.
The Mustangs took the opening set 25-23, holding off a late UTPB push after leading 24-20. Earlier, the Maroon & Gold trailed 5-3 before winning seven straight points, including six on
Isabella Dickens' serve, with
Nyle Mathis,
Jaiden Wright and Dickens contributing during the stretch that put MSU ahead 10-5. The Mustangs kept separation through the middle of the set as Mathis and Wright continued to finish swings, while
Aaliyah Toppin and
TaNia Penn added kills to answer Falcons points. After UTPB cut the margin to 24-23, Dickens finished the set with a kill from
Macy Scheer.
After the Falcons scored first, MSU created early separation with a six-point response, moving ahead 6-1 as
Isabella Dickens tied it and Toppin served five straight points that included three Mathis kills. UTPB cut the margin to 8-5 and later 10-8, but the Mustangs answered with kills from
Remi Madison, Wright, Mathis and consecutive Toppin finishes to lead 12-8. Dickens stayed involved through the middle of the set, adding kills at 13-9, 15-10 and 16-11, and the Maroon & Gold followed Wright's kill with a service ace to go up 18-11. The Falcons scored twice after MSU reached 24-16, but Mathis finished the set with a kill from Scheer for a 25-18 set win.
After falling behind 13-6 in the third set, the Mustangs answered with a six-point run and went on to take the set 25-22.
Jenna Redding served five straight points during that push, with Dickens, Penn and Toppin providing kills before Penn and Dickens combined on a block to pull MSU within 13-12. The Maroon & Gold continued to work back, getting a
Giselle Cazares ace to make it 15-14 and a Wright kill from Scheer to tie the set at 17-17 before moving ahead 18-17 on a UTPB attack error. After the Falcons tied it at 19-19, Wright put the Mustangs back in front,
Savannah Cummings followed with an ace, and late kills from Toppin and Dickens helped finish the 25-22 set.
Dickens finished with 19 points, 15 kills, three aces and two block assists. Mathis added 15 kills while hitting .303 for 15 points. Scheer recorded 47 assists and six digs. Wright converted nine kills on 12 attacks without an error, hitting .750.
Midwestern State wraps up regular season play at home against Lubbock Christian on Friday, Nov. 6, at 6 p.m. at D.L. Ligon Coliseum in Wichita Falls, Texas.
