COMMERCE – The Texas A&M University-Commerce volleyball team was unable to crack the code to defeat the UT Tyler Patriots early Tuesday afternoon, as the visiting Patriots earned a 3-0 sweep.
 
Set scores were 25-15, 25-14, and 25-22. A&M-Commerce is now 2-5 on the season and UT Tyler leads the Lone Star Conference Central Division at 9-0.

The two teams complete their season series at 6 p.m. Wednesday in the Field House.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- The Lions were limited to a .102 hitting percentage with 34 kills and 21 errors, while UT Tyler hit .307 with 40 kills and only five hitting errors.
- Nicki Gonelli (Round Rock - Stony Point) led the Lions with six kills and three other Lions had five kills.
- Riley Davidson (Commerce) had 14 digs and Sydney Andersen (Placentia, Calif.) had 13 digs.
- Celeste Vela (Guadalajara, Mexico) was just short of a double-double with 17 assists and nine digs.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
The first set was tied as late as 10-all, and a series of errors by both squads had the set within three points at 15-12. Unfortunately for A&M-Commerce, their guests went on a 10-3 run to end the set, with five of those points coming on various Lion errors.
 
The second set was similar, as a block by Gonelli and Maiya Dickie (Huntsville) had the Lions within one point at 13-12. UT Tyler hit the afterburners from that point, outscoring TAMUC 12-2. Nine of those points came on kills by the Patriots.
 
The Patriots took an early lead in the third set as well, going up 10-4 before A&M-Commerce went on a 12-4 run to take the lead at 16-14 on an Andersen ace. That lead quickly evaporated when UTT scored five straight points, but the late set battle had ensued. Keziah Williams (Branson, Mo.) had a kill to put the Lions in striking distance at 23-22, but UT Tyler notched two straight kills to close out the match.