By CHASE UPTON/Sports Editor
TYLER, Texas — Fall Fest brought a day full of excitement, energy and patriot pride to campus. The fun kicked off at 11 a.m. with tailgating, live music, food trucks, bounce houses, and plenty of pregame festivities that set the tone for an action-packed day of Patriot conference matchups.
Woman’s Soccer Tops TWU
The first action of the afternoon came at 2 p.m. as women’s soccer took down (RV) Texas Woman’s University (8-1-1) 2-0 at Citizens First Bank–Perkins Soccer Complex.
After a scoreless first half, Danica Anaya broke through in the 71st minute off an assist from Katie Wong, and Melissa Oliveira added another goal minutes later. Despite being outshot by TWU, 14-7 (5-2 on goal), Robbi Curry and Emily Clark combined for four saves in the Patriots’ second straight shutout, improving their record to 6-1-2 overall and 3-1-2 in conference.
Volleyball Makes Easy Work of UTD
Right as halftime of the women’s soccer game hit, fans made their way out of the 90-degree Texas heat and into the Louise Herrington Patriot Center (HPC) to catch volleyball take on UT Dallas (3-11) . Much like the fans flowing in from Perkins, head coach Lyndsay Mashe’s squad came into this game hot, riding a four-match win streak that began with a big road victory over No. 22 Angelo State on Oct. 11.
The Patriots kept that momentum rolling, making quick work of the Comets in a dominant 3–0 sweep. Kota Hartman led the way with 12 kills while Autumn Perry added 10, as UT Tyler controlled every set with balanced offense and strong defensive play. The Patriots hit .178 as a team while holding UT Dallas to just .128, showing poise in tight moments and finishing each frame on decisive runs. Alyson Robbins and Audrey Brandon combined for 17 kills and key blocks at the net, while Saige Rivera dished out 39 assists to fuel the attack.
With the win, UT Tyler improved to 8–6 overall and stayed perfect in Lone Star Conference play at 4–0, continuing their hot streak and keeping the crowd energized for the rest of Fall Fest.
Men’s Soccer Comes Up Just Short
To close out Fall Fest, fans returned to Perkins Soccer Complex to watch men’s soccer take on West Texas A&M (4-3-1). The game stayed tight throughout, with neither team scoring in the first half.
Early in the second half, Henrique Caputo netted his second goal of the season, and gave UT Tyler the lead off a beauty of a pass from Jaxson Stovall in the 53rd minute. The Buffs would then tie the match on a penalty kick in the 68th minute and then scored the game-winner in the 84th minute.
Luke Ryan made two saves, and Senior Stovall and William Kenne played the full 90 minutes, but UT Tyler couldn’t find another goal, falling 2–1.
Despite the loss, the Patriots closed out Fall Fest in exciting fashion, wrapping up a day packed with energy, great matchups and moments you didn’t want to miss.
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