HOUSTON, TX- UST Women's volleyball continue to make their way through this hosted tournament in Houston, delivering a great performance for the fans. St. Thomas strikes back after dropping the opening set to defeat Howard Payne in a four set match 9–25, 25–14, 25–12, 25–18. They earn the 3-1 win, continuing their season streak 10-0. 

The Yellow Jackets jumped out early in set one, giving UST a fighting chance as shown by the strong swings from Alexis Bodunrin and Ariana Willis. The Celts couldn't quite close the gap, falling 25–19 to open the match.

From there, the Celts locked in. In the second set, clean serving and strong defense at the net flipped the momentum. Carly Lange opened with an ace, while Sydney Nevill and Willis powered through the Howard Payne blocks. Providing the hits with great placements, setter Jada Stallworth kept the offense rolling as UST took off with a 25–14 win to even the match.

Set three belonged fully to the Celts. Bodunrin caught fire with multiple kills, while Karrington Kays and Brooke Barnes added timely points to sustain the run. Stallworth's serving stretched the lead, and Barnes sealed the set with back-to-back kills before Bodunrin closed it out with strong offensive ace. The Celts dominated 25–12, taking control of the match.

In the fourth, UST kept it pushing against HPU. The Celts take control with a kill by Jazilyn Davis to reverse the serve and play on a 6 point streak. Lange sparked the early run with a service ace, and Bodunrin, chipped in kills to build a steady lead. Mia Medina's distribution of sets kept the Yellow Jackets on their toes, while our defense was strong. With the crowd behind them, the Celts finished strong as Davis put down the final point for a 25–18 win to seal the match.

Stat Leaders: 
UST was led by Alexis Bodunrin with 15 kills, while Ariana Willis put up 12 and Jazilyn Davis 11. Karrington Kays contributed 3 aces and 3 blocks, and Caitlin Lange added 2 aces. On the setting front, Jada Stallworth distributed 31 assists, backed by 19 from Mia Medina. Defensively, Lange piled up 18 digs, Bodunrin 16, and Stallworth 10.

Up Next
The Celts continue their home stretch to defend their title tomorrow. Their last game in this two day tournament is scheduled for Saturday Sep 13th @2:30 PM vs Southwestern. Stay updated with all things UST Volleyball at www.ustcelts.com or follow @USTAthletics and @ustwvball on Instagram.