By Alan Wiederhold
Sports Information Director
LeTourneau University

RICHARDSON, Texas – Five-time defending ASC East champion Texas-Dallas showed it was not going to give up its volleyball division crown easily as the Comets defeated visiting LeTourneau in three games Friday.

Scores of the match were 25-21, 25-16 and 25-11.

Dana Hilzendager, one of the American Southwest Conference's preseason Players of the Year honorees, knocked down a match-high 15 kills to lead the Comets on Friday.

LeTourneau's frontcourt duo of Chelsea Bowers and Jo Runnels led the YellowJacket attack at Texas-Dallas. Bowers, a freshman outside hitter from Anaheim, Calif. (Orange Lutheran HS), led the Jackets with eight kills and accounted for nine of LeTourneau's points in the match.

Sophomore hitter Runnels (Channelview, Texas/Channelview) knocked down seven kills and added a solo block and a block assist to her line in the scorebook.

Bowers and Runnels lead the YellowJackets with 74 kills and 72 kills, respectively, through 10 matches this season.

One of the returners from last season's squad, Jessica Zabojnik (Burleson, Texas/Burleson) made her first career appearance for the Jackets without the libero jersey Friday. Without being limited to the back row, Zabojnik knocked down a career-high four kills for LeTourneau.

Zabojnik also recorded seven digs for the Jackets at UT-Dallas, as did Friday's libero Shannon Syme (Beaverlodge, Alberta/Beaverlodge RHS) and Brooke Sheranko (Spring, Texas/Oak Ridge). Sheranko also led the Jackets with 10 assists.

The YellowJackets seized control early in the match, taking a 14-9 lead over the Comets in game one, but the home team picked up momentum and tied the game at 16 points apiece. With a 21-20 lead later in the game, the Comets scored four of the next five points – all via kills – to take a hard-fought game one.

Jackets nation was able to find positives in LeTourneau's performance on Friday, as they held five-point leads on the defending ASC East champion multiple times during the match. The Jackets opened game two with a 5-0 run, with Sheranko serving two aces during that span.

The Comets used a pair of runs during game two to re-establish the momentum for the home side. A 5-0 run early in the second game helped the Comets take a 10-9 lead. UT-Dallas later used a 6-0 run to take hold of a 19-13 lead.

The YellowJackets return to action Saturday when they make the short drive west to take on their Highway 31 rivals UT Tyler. Match time is scheduled for 2 p.m. at the Herrington Patriot Center in Tyler.