Crusaders Win Season Opener

Marshall, TX - The University of Dallas women's volleyball team began the season with a road win against East Texas Baptist University on Wednesday.  The Crusaders won the series 3-1, falling in the first set (25-23) before winning the next three (26-24, 25-18, and 25-22).

The two teams battled in the first set with neither team gaining more than two point lead until the Crusaders scored five straight points to take a 11-6 lead.  ETBU returned five points to tie the game at 11-11, and then outscored Dallas 9-5 to take a 20-16 lead.  After UD narrowed the score 20-19, the Tigers held off Dallas to finish out the set 25-23.

The second set started similiarly with the two teams playing closely with the Tigers taking a 10-8 lead.  UD then took control behind the services of Larissa Ramirez (San Antonio, Texas) as Dallas went on a 7-0 run to take a 15-10 lead.  ETBU regained the lead at 18-17, before slugging it out with the Crusaders at the end of the set with UD outlasting the Tigers 26-24.

Dallas jumped ahead in the third set after an initial struggle in the opening points.  After a 4-4 tie, UD scored nine of the next 11 points, to put the game out of reach.  They would build their largest lead of the set at 18-9, before coasting to the finish, winning 25-18.

The fourth set was hotly contested as neither team led by more than three points for the whole set.  After ETBU tied the game at 11-11, the two teams traded 19 of the next 23 points.  After Dallas took the lead 23-22, the Crusaders put the last two points on the board to take the set 25-22 and the game 3-1.

UD sophomore Cassie Dyoub (Frisco, Texas) lead the team with career highs in kills, 16, attacks, 45, and digs, 13.  Senior and former SCAC Newcomer of the Year Dayjah Whyte (Round Rock, Texas) had the team's best hitting percentage for the night at .304.  Ramirez was the game leader in assists with 36 and the team leader in digs with 21.

The win for the Crusaders was their second straight against ETBU with their previous win coming back in 2019 with a 3-2 win at the Millsaps College/Belhaven University Invitational.  Dallas is now 6-10 all-time against the Tigers.

The Crusaders will continue the season with a home tournament on Friday and Saturday September 3 and 4.  Dallas is scheduled to play Sul Ross State University and Hardin-Simmons University at 4:00 PM and 8:00 PM on Friday and Rhodes College (TN) and McMurry University and 2:00 PM and 4:00 PM on Saturday.  All game times are Central.