ARKADELPHIA, Ark. — The UT Dallas volleyball team lost to Ouachita Baptist 25-14, 25-13, 25-15 on Friday at Sturgis Physical Education Center in its second match of the Reddie-Tiger Invitational. 

The first set began with the Tigers (6-1) gaining an early advantage as Courtney Hanson served back-to-back points and facilitated a strong offensive start. Although the Comets (1-5) responded with kills from Lauren Petty and Jane Burkhardt, OBU maintained its edge with a 5-0 run, highlighted by Leah Gardner's attacks. UTD narrowed the gap slightly with contributions from Abby Gentner and Moriah Johnson, who added a kill at 21-12. Despite the rally, OBU's consistent play led by Gardner and Kailey Thedford ensured they secured the set 25-14.

The Tigers opened the second set leading 7-1. The Comets found some momentum midway, with Gentner contributing a service ace and Melia Mendoza-Flores adding kills. However, the Tigers maintained control, culminating in a 25-13 set win despite UTD's late efforts, including a block from Avery Pickard and Mendoza-Flores.

The third set began with the Tigers leading 4-0 early. The Comets responded with a kill from Mendoza-Flores and another from Petty, narrowing the margin to 9-4. UTD managed to earn points through a mix of opponent errors and key kills, including one by Burkhardt at 17-10, but could not close the gap completely. A late service ace from Pickard brought UTD to 21-12, but OBU maintained their advantage to close the set 25-15.

The Comets hit -.036 on 16 kills, four aces, three blocks and 32 digs. The Tigers recorded a .337 attack rate with 42 kills, seven aces, six blocks and 43 digs.

UT Dallas Performances
Melia Mendoza-Flores - .500, 5 kills, 2 blocks
Abby Gentner - 8 assists, 2 aces, 5 digs
Jane Burkhardt - 5 kills, 1 ace, 4 digs
Mari Hernandez - 13 digs

Ouachita Baptist Performances
Riley Braziel - 10 kills, 7 digs
Courtney Hanson - 31 assists, 10 digs, 3 aces
Leah Gardner - 8 kills, 2 blocks, .538
Kailey Thedford - .400, 9 kills

Up Next
The Comets will face Mississippi College at 12:30 p.m. Saturday to start day two of the Reddie-Tiger Invitational.