Match Information
Score: Texas – Permian Basin 3, Lubbock Christian 1 (26-28, 25-22, 25-23, 25-10)
Records: LCU (9-10, 3-7, 3-5 Div.), UTPB (15-3, 7-2, 3-2 Div.)
Location: UTPB Gym - Odessa, Texas
 
Highlights
Lubbock Christian University took the opening set, but then dropped three straight sets and fell for their fifth straight road loss (third straight divisional road loss). The Falcons were led by Aquincia Strambler (14), Travana Matthews (10) and Skyler Friel (10), as the trio combined for 34 kills and each player had at least a .345 attack percentage. Hannah Thomas had a balanced evening for LCU, in a double-double performance, as she had 18 career-high digs with 10 kills, three aces and four blocks. LCU setter Bradi Marshall also had a double-double with 35 assists and 14 digs. Morgan Schwarz had nine kills with a .320 attack mark and Hailey Cournoyer had seven kills and five blocks in the losing cause for the Lady Chaps.  

How It Happened

Set One:
LCU was able to claim the opening set 28-26 despite UTPB producing an 18-14 advantage in kills in the set. Strambler for UTPB and Schwarz for LCU each had five kills in the set. Thomas produced two of LCU's three serving aces in the set. There were six lead changes in the set and Thomas' second ace was part of an 8-3 LCU, which turned a 17-12 deficit into a 20-20 tie. Marshall was able to slip in a kill to get a 23-21 LCU lead, but UTPB answered with the next three points and LCU trailed 24-23. LCU eventually served three-straight set-point serves, with the third resulting in a block by Cournoyer and Marshall for a 28-26 set win.  

Set Two:
UTPB opened the set with a 5-0 run, with three of the points off kills by Grace Talbert. Jalee Sims served an ace for LCU, cutting their deficit to 8-6 in the set, but the Falcons surged with the next 10 of 16 points to lead 18-12. LCU made things interesting with an 8-2 run to cut their deficit to 22-21. Talbert made sure to not allow the Lady Chaps to take the lead, as her fifth kill of the set helped the Falcons win the set 25-22. Each team had identical kill rates in the set, as each had 11 kills and a .114 hitting percentage. Ashley Vanfleet led LCU with four kills in the set.

Set Three:
There were no lead changes in the second set and despite a closely played third set, there were only two lead changes. LCU trailed 5-1 and used an 8-2 run to take a 14-10 lead. The Lady Chaps led 18-14, but UTPB erupted on a 9-2 scoring run for a 23-20 lead. Sims served up an ace to pull with a point (23-22). They also trailed 24-23 and UTPB claimed the set 25-23 with a third consecutive UTPB point via a kill by Matthews, who had four kills in the set. Avery Moore and Thomas each had four kills in the set for LCU, as LCU lost the set despite 15-13 advantage in kills and a .265 hitting percentage in the set.
 
Set Four:
The pair of close set losses took the wind out of the sails for LCU in the final set. Thomas had a kill to cut the Falcons lead to 11-9, but the Falcons responded with a 14-1 run to claim the set 25-10. UTPB had a .379 hitting mark in the final set, while LCU had a -.029 hitting percentage in the set.

Inside the Numbers:
2 – UTPB, now 6-38 all-time against LCU, sweeps the regular season series against the Lady Chaps for the third time in the series history and the first time since 2006.
3 – Hannah Thomas served up a trio of aces, placing her season total at 22 (eighth in the conference). Her career high for aces in a match is five.
9 – Ashley Vanfleet tallied nine kills to surpass 500 career kills and now has 504 career kills.
11 – LCU served 11 errors, marking the second-highest total of the season (they had 12 against Colo. Colorado Springs in the season-opening weekend.
16 – Maddie DeGuire recorded 16 digs, placing her with 801 career digs, as she surpassed 800 career digs.
18 – Hannah Thomas, playing in her 60^th career match, produced a career high 18 digs (prior high was 12) to help complete her third career double-double.
30 - Setter Bradi Marshall notched her 30th career double-double and she has 13 double-doubles this season and they have come over a 17-match stretch.
35 – With 35 digs, Bradi Marshall surpassed 1,800 career assists and is sitting with 1804 career assists.

Up Next:
The importance of LCU's next match heavily increased, as the loss Thursday prevented LCU from moving ahead of UTPB in the division standings. LCU sits in fourth place in the division (top four advance to the LSC Championships) and they head to Silver City, N.M. Saturday to face Western New Mexico, who sits in fifth place in the division. The Lady Chaps have two division contests remaining.