RICHARDSON, Texas - The UT Dallas volleyball team won its eighth American Southwest Conference championship in program history after sweeping East Texas Baptist 25-17, 25-22, 25-19 in the league tournament finals at the UTD Activity Center Saturday afternoon.
The Comets (20-5) also won the title in 2008, 2009, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2021. They also earn the conference's automatic qualifier to the NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Championship with the selection show airing Monday at noon on NCAA.com.
UTD led the entire first set against the Tigers (20-7), who were playing in their first ASC finals since 2013. ETBU hit -.026 in the first frame. The second set featured nine ties and three lead changes. The Comets led 21-20 before ending the set with a 4-2 run, including a pair of kills from tournament Most Valuable Player
Catherine Croft and another by senior middle blocker
Karle Lynd.
The Tigers led 17-16 in the third game, but the Comets ended the match on a 9-2 rally to win the championship for the second year in a row.
UTD hit .211 on 42 kills to go with a pair of aces, seven blocks and 51 digs. ETBU hit .084 with 34 kills, three aces, three blocks and 45 digs.
Along with Croft, junior setter
Emma Sevening and freshman middle blocker
Lauren Johnson were named to the All-Tournament Team.
UT Dallas Notes
- First-year head coach
Zach Villarreal, along with assistant
Kaylie McHugh, made up the ASC Coaching Staff of the Year and followed up by capturing the league title. Villarreal served as an assistant coach for the first 18 seasons of the Comet volleyball program.
- Croft led UTD with 12 kills and six blocks while hitting .360.
- Sevening came up with 16 assists.
- Johnson recorded four kills and three blocks.
- Freshman right side
Gabi Engels hit a season-best .438 on nine kills.
- Senior outside
Madison Ball had seven kills, a solo block and 10 digs.
- Junior libero
Rachel Baxter added 11 digs and senior
Abby Jones had 12.
-
Izzy Sundquist posted 14 assists and Lynd had three blocks.
East Texas Baptist Notes
- Avery Reid led the Tigers with 14 kills and was named to the All-Tournament Team.
- ASC Player and Freshman of the Year Graycee Mosley had nine kills and nine digs and was held to a -.047 hitting percentage, her worst performance of the season.
- Kristin Kruger had eight kills and two blocks.
- Setter Lexi Moody had 27 assists and 12 digs and was named to the All-Tournament Team.
Up Next
The Comets will learn the location of the NCAA Regionals on Monday at noon. This will be ninth NCAA Tournament UTD will participate in.
