JUST WIN BABY, TWU COMES FROM BEHIND TO EDGE
CENTRAL OKLAHOMA

DENTON, TX—Down 0-2 in games and only five points from losing the match, Texas Woman’s University (10-15, 5-0 LSC) went on a 5-0 run to take game three 33-31, then finished off Central Oklahoma (14-6, 3-2 LSC) for a 3-2 (31-33, 24-30, 33-31, 30-21, 15-13) come-from-behind victory. The win ended a 10-match losing streak to the Bronchos, dating back to Oct. 24, 1997, and extended the Pioneers win streak to eight matches. TWU is now in sole possession of first place in the Lone Star Conference North Division with a 5-0 record.

"We came out flat to start this match. The team was not communicating and we were not closing the block. After the second game, the team started clicking. Jenny Madrid and Heather Smith were on fire offensively in the final three games and our defense stepped up," head coach Shelly Barberee said. "This was a big win for our program because of how the team came from behind. We are 5-0 in conference, but this season is not over yet. We still have five more conference games to concentrate on. People were not expecting this team to be at this position in the season, but now they had better get ready because we are playing some great volleyball right now."

UCO opened up the match on fire offensively. They recorded 20 kills and hit at a .269 clip en route to an 11-18 lead. TWU clawed their way back and tied the game at 23-23, thanks to three straight kills from Heather Smith (Chino Hills, CA/Ayala H.S.). The lead changed hands three more times before Emily Whiteley put down two kills to give the Bronchos a 31-33 win. In game two, it was all UCO as they recorded 21 kills and committed only three errors to take a 0-2 lead in the match with a 24-30 win. Game three was closely contested throughout, as there were 14 ties and nine lead changes. UCO was five points from winning the match at 22-25 when Jenny Madrid (Panama City, Panama/Hill College) exploded with three straight kills to boost the Pioneers on a 7-0 run. TWU turned in 20 kills held on to win the third frame 33-31.

The momentum was clearly in the hands of TWU as the Pioneers jumped out to a 12-5 lead in game four. They kept the pressure on and moved out to a 12-point lead, 24-12, on the strength of 17 kills and a .318 attack percentage. The Bronchos tried to come back, but a service ace and solo block by Melanie Pabalate (Fort Worth, TX/ Navarro College) allowed TWU to knot the match up at 2-2 with a 30-21 win. The Bronchos roared out a 3-8 lead in the deciding game, thanks to three kills from Kim Morgal, and were in complete control of the match. After three hitting errors by Smith and Marci Brinkman (Carrollton, TX/Newman Smith H.S.), UCO was two points away from their fourth victory in conference play, 8-13. TWU came out of a timeout and rolled off seven unanswered points with Pabalate ending the Pioneers comeback with solo block and a 15-13 win.

"This team has more heart than any team I have ever been apart of. After being down 0-2, we came together and made a point to not make any errors the rest of the way. Everybody stepped up their play and were determined not to lose," Smith said. "During the first part of this season, we were six individuals on the court, but ever since conference started, we have been playing as a team and the victories just keep coming our way."

The last time TWU won eight matches in a row was 1997 when the Pioneers went on a nine-match winning streak on their way to the LSC North Division title. They finished the match with 79 kills and 15 errors on 225 swings for a .284 attack percentage. Four Pioneers finished the match with double digits in kills with Madrid leading the way with a season-high 22. Smith turned in a career-high 21 kills while Courtney Lewis (San Antonio, TX/Hill College) and Brinkman each chipped in with 13 apiece. Carley Messmer (Garland, TX/UT-San Antonio) recorded career-highs of 61 assists and 25 digs to go along with her four kills and three block assists. As a team, TWU recorded a season-high 130 digs and 14 team blocks.

Up next, the Pioneers continue their eight-match home stand with three games next week. Tarleton State comes to town on Tuesday, Oct. 21 in a conference crossover match beginning at 7 p.m. Then on Thursday, Oct. 23, TWU plays LSC North Division rival Southeastern Oklahoma, also with a 7 p.m. start. Texas A&M-Commerce visits Kitty Magee Arena on Saturday, Oct. 25 at 2 p.m. TWU began their eight-match winning streak with a win over TAMU-C on Oct. 2.