HAWKINS, TX---The Lady Mustang Volleyball program competed in their fourth and fifth matches of the season Thursday evening against NCAA Division 3 Howard Payne University and RRAC foe Jarvis Christian. The Lady Mustangs swept the tri-match earning their first and second victories of the season. The win versus Howard Payne was the first career victory for first year Head Coach Julia Krebs. USW's record sits at 2-3 in this early spring season. 

"A first win is always great, but there wasn't much thought other than it was time to win one more match and stay focused on the next goal" said Head Coach Julia Krebs after earning her first college victory Thursday night. "I thought the girls were able to keep control on our side. We had quick side outs and were able to push small runs of points each set. When it was close they made sure to tighten up, have less unforced errors on our side and have more focused kills and smart plays .They had great communication and attitudes the entire day which play a huge factor in the wins." 

USW swept the match against Howard Payne and were led by Dylann Bylund. The Colorado native racked up 14 kills on 32 attempts and added a service ace and 1.5 blocks totaling 16.5 points for her in the match. Sophomore Alexia Esparza added 7 kills of her own on 23 attempts. Kennedy McRuffin led the team with 3 service aces and Autumn Lopez had 13 digs in the match. 

After sweeping the Lady Yellow Jackets, USW had the tough task of a short break, followed by their first Red River Athletic Conference match of the season. The Lady Mustangs took on the Lady Bulldogs, who had previously lost to Howard Payne to start the tri-match off. Despite losing the first set 25-22, Krebs and company rallied in the final 3 sets to defeat Jarvis Christian. The Lady Mustangs had 3 attackers with double-digit kills for the match: Glenys Maldonado (16), Samantha Dreibelbis (10) and Dylann Bylund (10). USW also had 3 with double-digit digs: Autumn Lopez (17), Kennedy McRuffin (13) and Dylan Bylund (12). Sophomore Sarah Marquez did what she did best and assisted her teammates on 31 kills in the match. 

"Talk about a total team effort" said Krebs. "Our pin hitters played a huge roll the entire day. Alexia and Glenys had great court vision and listened to their teammates on the open shots. Samantha was a great asset on the OPP, keeping all three options open across the net helps our offense and she puts up a great block for us to work around on defense as well. Overall the focus was great tonight. The second game was a little washy with some outside factors coming into play but they tightened up after the first set and regained the focus we needed to push and win the final three sets. Intensity is always there with these girls and playing aggressively comes very easy for them. I also like how they hold each other accountable when they don't feel like the court is intense or focused enough" said Krebs on her individual performances and the difficulty of sweeping a tri-match.