TYLER, Texas - The UT Dallas volleyball team kicked off the 2025 season with a 25-18, 25-20, 25-17 loss to #7 Central Oklahoma at the Herrington Patriot Center Thursday evening.

In the first NCAA Division II match for the Comets (0-1), they hit .136 with 33 kills, 5 aces, 3 blocks and 58 digs. The Bronchos (1-0) hit .271 with 43 kills, 5 aces, 2 blocks and 65 digs.

In the first set, UCO surged to an early 4-0 lead, aided by two service aces from Lindsey Houran and an attack error by the Comets. UTD responded with a point from freshman Jane Burkhardt, but the Bronchos maintained momentum, extending their lead to 8-2. A series of services from Kira Braun helped UTD narrow the gap to 9-8, but Central Oklahoma's Mikiah Perdue and Riley Roberts each contributed key kills to re-establish a lead. UTD rallied again, tying the score at 11-11 with strong performances from Laura See and Burkhardt. However, Central Oklahoma capitalized on a sequence of errors by UTD to create a decisive 7-0 run, ultimately closing the set with a kill by Kedron Burk for a 25-18 victory.

Central Oklahoma built an early lead over UTD in the second set, sparked by a series of kills from Kedron Burk and Kamryn Glover, pushing the score to 11-5. UTD responded with a service ace from Sydney Sabin, followed by a block from See that narrowed the gap to 11-9. Despite the surge, UCO maintained momentum with Sawyer Franz contributing multiple kills, extending their lead to 20-13. Sabin's two consecutive service aces fueled a late rally for the Comets, bringing them within three points at 21-18, but the Bronchos closed the set with a kill from Glover, securing a 25-20 victory.

In the third set, Central Oklahoma took an early lead against UTD, starting with a kill by Glover assisted by Houran. The Comets responded with a kill by Helms and set by Mari Hernandez, but the Bronchos went on a scoring run to make it 5-1. Houran's playmaking was instrumental, providing multiple assists, including consecutive setups for Glover and Perdue. UTD attempted a comeback with a series of successful plays, including a kill by Moriah Johnson from Sabin, but could not close the gap as Central Oklahoma maintained its momentum, ultimately securing the set 25-17.


UT Dallas Top Performers
Laura See  - .273, 8 kills, 2 blocks, 10 points
Jane Burkhardt  - 9 kills, 10 digs, 1 block, 10 points
Sydney Sabin  - 15 assists, 3 aces, 4 digs
Mari Hernandez  - 24 digs
Kira Braun - 12 assists, 2 aces, 5 digs

Central Oklahoma Top Performers  
Lindsey Houran  - 36 assists, 13 digs, 2 aces
Kamryn Glover  - 13 kills, 7 digs, 1 ace
Kaitlyn Parrott  - 16 digs, 2 aces

Up Next
The Comets will continue play at the Patriot Classic on Friday. They take on Ouachita Baptist at 10 a.m. and #5 Ferris State at 6 p.m.