COMMERCE, Texas – The ULM volleyball team (1-1) swept Texas Southern (0-2) 3-0 (25-14, 25-23, 25-12) to earn its first win of the season on Saturday afternoon (Aug. 29). A tight second set and double-digit first and third set wins lifted the Warhawks to victory. 

Second-year Aniya Hall led the offense with 11 kills and a .312 hitting percentage. She added two service aces, nine digs, and three total blocks. First-year Tatum Clay contributed eight kills and a service ace. Fifth-year Briana Raney continued to hold down the defensive end, making 14 digs.  

The Warhawks grabbed an early 11-5 lead to open the first set, scoring points on four straight serves from Clay, including an ace. ULM then went on a six-point run to lead 20-9, thanks to kills from Hall and Clay, as well as a block from fourth-year Kenzie Behl and first-year Myla Matavao. First-year Grace Troxell brought the Warhawks to set point with a kill, and ULM secured the 25-14 set win on an attack error by the Tigers.  

Texas Southern closed the gap at the beginning of the second set, scoring four straight points to tie the score at 12 apiece. From there, the two teams traded the lead back and forth all the way to the set point. The Warhawks trailed 22-23 but went on to win three straight points to win the set on a kill from Troxell and put ULM one set away from clinching the match.  

The third set mirrored the first, with the Warhawks jumping out to a 7-2 lead, highlighted by three kills from Clay. ULM continued to build on that lead, winning five consecutive points to make the score 15-6 going into the timeout. The Warhawks continued to shut the Tigers down, increasing their lead to as many as 13 points, all the way up to match point. Back-to-back kills by Behl and Matavao sealed the deal, lifting ULM to a 25-12 set victory, and a 3-0 sweep over Texas Southern.  

The Warhawks will conclude the Lion Invitational against host East Texas A&M tomorrow, Sunday, Aug. 30. First serve is set for 2 p.m. on ESPN+.