Campus News

VOLLEYBALL: Lady Tigers defeat UT Tyler, finish conference schedule

TYLER, Texas (10/27/09) -- ETBU's volleyball team completed its 2009 regular season conference schedule Tuesday night with a 26-24, 16-25, 25-22, 27-25 victory over Texas-Tyler at the Patriot Center.

The victory moves ETBU to 17-9 on the season and the Lady Tigers finish the ASC slate at 13-4. ETBU, which ends the season with a non-conference tournament in Georgetown this weekend, has already advanced to the ASC Tournament for a ninth straight year.

The ASC championship tournament will be played in Richardson on Nov. 8-9. ETBU will play the No. 3 seed from the ASC West Division in the first round.

On Tuesday, however, ETBU continued its hold over UT Tyler (9-20, 3-12) with a win on the Patriots' home floor. The Lady Tigers are 13-0 all-time against UT Tyler since the Patriots began their program back in 2003. Tuesday night was just the second time in those 13 matches in which UT Tyler had actually won a set in the match.

The Patriots, battling for the final playoff spot in the ASC East Division with Mississippi College and Mary Hardin-Baylor, made things tough on a Lady Tiger unit playing without starting sophomore Mary Morgan Swanson. Swanson, third on the team in kills this season, was held out of the match due to injury.

Senior Jane Hays and team kills leader Kourtney Adams picked up the slack, however, combining for 24 kills on a night when ETBU needed every one of them. Hays finished with a team-high 13 kills, while Adams added 11.

Freshman Mollie Willard also came up big with six kills, and freshman Kerri Kalina -- playing in her most extensive action due to Swanson's absence -- was also huge with a kill and three blocks.

Brittany Herbort keyed the offense with 26 assists, and Hays was the team's leading defender with 15 digs. Nicole Vanderlaan added 14 digs and Adams chipped in 12.

Amanda Hanson led UT Tyler with 13 kills.

ETBU will finish the regular season at the Southwestern University Halloween Tournament in Georgetown this weekend.