Box Score

MARSHALL, TX (09.24.10) - In a battle of the top two volleyball teams in the American Southwest Conference East Division, No. 19-ranked UT Dallas pushed and shoved for a key five-game win at East Texas Baptist. UTD edged the Tigers, 25-22, 22-25, 25-14, 23-25, 15-10, Friday night at Ornelas Gymnasium.

UT Dallas (now 8-1, 3-0 in ASC) brought a 18-match ASC East winning streak into Friday night's match and after trading four sets at ETBU, the Comets pulled away for a 15-10 in the fifth and deciding game to lock up the 19th consecutive regular-season divisional victory.

Dana Hilzendager, a sophomore from Red Oak, led the Comets with 21 kills. Amber Wetz, a senior from San Antonio, had 20 kills while Kailey Killingsworth, a freshman from Alvin, and senior Jessica Nassau, a senior from Orlando, Fla., rounded out UTD players in double-digit kills with 18 and 10, respectively. The Comets hit .228 as a team in the match. Hilzendager also led the Comets with 25 digs, one of six UTD players to reach double digits in the category.

Senior setter Niki Calverley, a native of Wylie, improved up on her ASC lead in assists per game as she ended the five-game match with 62 assists, averaging 12.4 per set against the Tigers. The 62 assists was a career-best for Calverley and the second-highest single-match total in UTD history.

The host Tigers (2-8, 1-1 ASC) scored the first point of the match, but UTD quickly responded with back-to-back points and never again trailed in the opening set as the Comets had to fight to hold off ETBU in the stanza. The Comets hit .233 in the opener, sparked by four kills each by Killingsworth and Nassau.

In the second set, ETBU would score the first three points of the set and hold the lead until the Comets snatched a 9-8 advantage on a kill by Nassau. However, the Tigers responded and regained the lead four serves later and never relinquished the lead again, holding off UTD for the three-point win to equal the match, 1-1.

The Comets then dominated the third set to take a 2-1 game let as UTD hit .371 as a team, its best game of the night, en route to the 11-point win. This time it was Hilzendager who led the charge with five kills.

But, once again the Tigers answered. ETBU jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead in the fourth set and never trailed, leading by as many as eight points, 21-13, before the Comets rallied for just a three-point defeat. UTD collected 16 kills in the set, compared to 12 by the Tigers, however nine errors proved costly as ETBU knotted the match, 2-2.

In the final set, the Comets scored the opening point on an ETBU error, but the Tigers quickly answered with a kill to even the set. UTD then scored back-to-back points, on a kill by Hilzendager and then another ETBU error, to go up 3-1 and never trailed. The host Tigers knotted the game at 7-7 and 8-8, but could not take the lead as UTD ended the match on 7-2 run, capped by Hilzendager kill to end the night.

The Comets return to action Saturday as they visit Mississippi College in another ASC East contest. Game time is set for 2 p.m. in Clinton, Miss.

BOX SCORE