UT-Tyler Athletics
Ryan Shumaker
| DURANT, OKLA. – UT Tyler standouts Christina Escamilla and Mikayla Ware have earned 2021 Southeastern Classic All-Tournament Team honors after leading #20 UT Tyler to a 4-0 record in the event. Escamilla and Ware led UT Tyler to the only undefeated record in the tournament with a pair of 3-0 wins over Southern Nazarene and Emporia State and 3-1 wins over New Mexico Highlands and Central Oklahoma. Escamilla led the Patriots with an absurd .496 hitting percentage over the course of the four matches, while Ware balanced her input on both the offensive and defensive side of the net, ranking second in both digs and kills for the team on the weekend. The Southeastern Classic All-Tournament Team represents the top two contributors from each of the six participating teams in the event. Escamilla’s numbers from the four matches should lead to multiple recognitions in the week to come, as she put down 64 kills on just 113 kills between the four season-opening matches for UT Tyler. The Arlington, Texas native posted the highest attack percentage of any qualified player in the Lone Star Conference over the weekend, and ranked second in kills per set with an average of 4.57. She recorded match totals of 9, 14, 21 and 20 kills for UT Tyler, and committed just eight attack errors in her 113 swings on the weekend. The UT Tyler offense as a whole led the league throughout opening weekend with an average of 16.43 kills per set and ranked third in the LSC with a team hitting percentage of .257. Ware was just as impactful on both the box score and on the court in the tournament, notching double-doubles in Saturday’s matches against New Mexico Highlands and Central Oklahoma. She totaled 18 kills and 16 digs in the morning match against New Mexico Highlands and 16 kills and 16 digs in the afternoon win against Central Oklahoma. She combined those two Saturday double-doubles with nine kills and 11 digs in Thursday’s victory over Southern Nazarene, and an outstanding 26 digs in just three sets against Emporia State on Friday. The San Antonio, Texas native ranked second on the squad at weekend’s end in both kills (51) and digs (69). UT Tyler will look to remain perfect on the young season this weekend as they are set to return home to host the 2021 Dakota’s Patriot Classic inside the Herrington Patriot Center this weekend. The Patriots will kick off the event on Thursday night against Ferris State at 6 p.m., followed by matches on Friday against West Alabama and #19 Harding, as well as on Saturday against Oklahoma Baptist. |