DENTON, Texas – Myla Unterweger knocked down six kills in the fifth set to spark Central Oklahoma to a come-from-behind win over UT-Dallas Thursday afternoon on the first day of the Texas Woman's Volleyfest.
The No. 15-ranked Bronchos scored the final four points of the final set to pull out a thrilling 25-20, 20-25, 25-27, 25-20 16-14 victory in the first of four matches in the three-day event.
UCO, now 4-2 on the season, returns Friday to take on host Texas Woman's at 3 p.m. before finishing Saturday with matches against Westminster (9:30 a.m.) and Southern Arkansas (3:30 p.m.).
"That was a great win for us," head coach Edgar Miraku said. "We made a lot of mistakes and really put ourselves in a bind, but the team refused to give up. I'm proud of the resiliency and fight that we showed."
Unterweger had two quick kills in helping stake UCO to a 4-1 lead in the deciding set and the sophomore hammered down another to make it 12-7 before the Comets came roaring back.
UT-Dallas ripped off seven straight points to surge in front 14-12 and was serving for the match, but the Bronchos responded. Kate Wells and Unterweger posted kills to tie it, then Wells took closed it out with a solo block and a slam dunk at the net.
Wells paced UCO's balanced attack with 13 kills and six blocks (four assisted, two solo), while Georgia Ahlert also had 13 kills. Taylor Fenton finished with 11 kills and Unterweger hit .350 with nine kills in 20 attacks with two errors in just two sets.
The Bronchos also got eight kills and three blocks from Brylee Moore. Versatile senior setter Riley Roberts came up big with 30 assists, 17 digs and six kills, with Kaitlyn Parrott chipping in a match-high 22 digs and three service aces.
UCO got off to a fast start in the first set, jetting to a 4-0 lead behind Emma Halstead's opening ace and back-to-back kills by Wells. It was still a four-point lead at 11-7 after a Parrott ace, but the Comets came back to tie it at 13-all and eventually went ahead 18-16.
The Bronchos responded with six unanswered points. Caroline Clayton started that spurt with a kill, Ahlert followed with another to tie it, then consecutive UT-Dallas errors put UCO on top.
Parrott kept the run going with her second ace of the set, then Wells and Clayton teamed up for a block that made it 22-18. Well added a solo block and joined Moore for another to help close out the set.
Kills by Wells and Fenton helped stake the Bronchos to an 11-7 lead in the second set and it was a 12-9 advantage after Clayton put down another strike. The Comets came back with an 8-2 run to move in front 17-14 and went on to even the match.
UT-Dallas took a 2-1 lead with a back-and-forth win in the third set.
UCO led 9-7 after a Wells kill, was up 12-9 following Moore's solo block and went ahead 18-14 on a Parrott ace. The Comets rallied to take a 21-20 lead, then Jenna Monroe's ace capped a 3-0 run that put the Bronchos on top 23-21.
Central was serving for the set after going ahead 25-24 on a combined block by Moore and Ahlert, but a service error tied it and UT-Dallas followed with consecutive kills to end it and put the Bronchos on the ropes.
But UCO responded in the fourth, coming back from a series of deficits to force the fifth set with a late surge.
The Bronchos trailed most of the way and were down 19-18 before flipping the script with a 5-0 run. A UT-Dallas service error got the spree started, Ahlert knocked down consecutive kills and Unterweger followed with another before Roberts hammered a shot down the line to give UCO a 23-19 lead.
The Comets scored, then Unterweger and Fenton delivered clutch kills to finish it off.
