HOBBS, N.M. – The University of the Southwest opened conference play in impressive fashion Friday after a year long break from the program, defeating Texas College twice at the Maddox Student Life Center. The Mustangs rallied for a five-set victory in the afternoon before completing the sweep with a three-set win in the evening, moving to 2-0 in conference play.
Southwest showed plenty of resilience in the opener, overcoming a 2-1 deficit to defeat the Steers 24-26, 25-16, 20-25, 25-15, 15-4. After dropping a tightly contested first set and falling behind again after the third, the Mustangs responded with dominant performances in the final two sets to secure the victory.
The turning point came in the fourth set as Southwest used an aggressive serving attack and balanced offense to pull away for a 25-15 win. The momentum carried into the deciding fifth set, where the Mustangs raced to an early lead and never looked back, holding Texas College to just four points in the match-clinching frame.
Southwest's serving game played a major role in the opening victory. Harley Valdez recorded 11 service aces, Ashlet Figueroa added 10, Maddie Lewis tallied nine, and Paola Alcaraz contributed seven aces. The Mustangs finished with 48 service aces in the match.
Offensively, Ruby Fraire led Southwest with eight kills while hitting .462. Aylani Washington and Alcaraz each finished with six kills, and Figueroa handed out a team-best 17 assists.
In the nightcap, Southwest continued its strong play with a 25-22, 25-23, 25-18 sweep of the Steers. The Mustangs battled through two competitive sets before pulling away in the third to complete the day's sweep.
After erasing an early deficit in the opening set, Southwest used timely kills from Aylani Washington and Harley Valdez down the stretch to secure a 25-22 win. The second set was equally tight, but the Mustangs once again delivered in the closing points to take a two-set advantage.
Southwest saved its best offensive performance for the third set, hitting .333 while controlling the pace from start to finish in a 25-18 victory. The Mustangs held Texas College to a negative hitting percentage for the match and finished with 11 service aces and 36 digs.
Washington led the way with nine kills, while Valdez added six kills, three service aces and seven digs. Figueroa directed the offense with 16 assists, and Alcaraz chipped in four kills and four aces.
With the pair of victories, Southwest completed a perfect opening day of conference action and improved to 2-0 on the season in conference play.
Coach Hannah Lax
"We opened the day a little rusty, but I was happy to see all of our nerves get out and we went to work. I'm proud of the continuous growth through these two games. We have a lot to work on, but with this foundation I'm excited to see what's next."
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