SHERMAN, Texas — To start the season, the Sul Ross State volleyball team split its first two matches against Lyon College and Austin College on Friday at the Hughey Gymnasium.

>> SUL ROSS STATE def. LYON COLLEGE 3-0 (25-23, 25-20, 26-24):

The Lobos trailed 4-1 early in the first set until Cassandra Espinoza tallied a kill and Lyon College had an attacking error to tie the score at 6-all.

Lyon College then surged ahead to a four-point lead before Sul Ross State rallied back.

Three kills by Daniella Garcia, Emily Priddy and Espinoza got the Lobos within one on three separate occasions.

Two attacking errors by Lyon College helped Sul Ross State tie up the set at 16-all.

Espinoza then gave the Lobos a one-point lead on a service ace.

The set went back and forth as there were five different lead changes before the Lobos pulled ahead late in the game to win by two points.

Loren Garcia put the finishing touches on the set with a kill.

Sul Ross State used a 7-0 run early in the second set to take a 9-3 lead. Brylee Sweeten had two clutch service aces during the run.

The Lobos were in control until Lyon College tied up the score at 14-all.

Using a 4-0 run fueled by two service aces by Sweeten, the Lobos got back on top with an 18-14 lead.

Lyon College tried to keep things close, but the Lobos didn't prevail as, once again, Loren Garcia tallied the final kill of the set to give Sul Ross State the 2-0 advantage.

The final set was filled with suspense early on as the lead changed back and forth until the Lobos went on a 4-0 run to take a 21-19 lead.

Sarah Chavez and Espinoza had two clutch kills while Tatyana Colon had a service ace during the run.

Lyon College came back to tie the set at 24-all.

The Lobos closed out the set on a 3-0 run thanks to two attack errors and a bad set by Lyon College. Edie Coleman, Daniella Garcia and Espinoza came up with some clutch blocks during the final stretch.

>> RECORDS: Sul Ross State (1-0); Lyon College (0-2)

>> GAME NOTES:

• Daniella Garcia had a team-high eight kills and four block assists.
• Espinoza finished with six kills while Payton Miller had five.
• Sweeten tallied 12 assists, four service aces and eight digs.
• Eliana Mata had 11 assists, two service aces and eight digs.
• Colon led the defense with 15 digs.

>> AUSTIN COLLEGE def. SUL ROSS STATE 3-0 (25-22, 25-21, 25-18):

Sul Ross State held a one-point lead early in the first set after a kill by Daniella Garcia.

The Lobos led by four at one point after a kill by Chavez.

It was a back and forth battle in the middle of the set until Austin College pulled away late in the game.

To start the second set, the Lobos went on an early 4-0 run highlighted by two kills from Espinoza.

Sul Ross State fought hard, but Austin College went on a 4-1 run to close out the set to take a 2-0 lead in the match.

Austin College led by as much as nine points in the middle of the third game as it eventually notched the sweep.

>> RECORDS: Sul Ross State (1-1); Austin College (2-0)

>> GAME NOTES:

• Daniella Garcia led the offense with 13 kills.
• Chavez finished with eight kills.
• Mata tallied 16 assists while Sweeten had 11.
• Colon finished with 13 digs.

>> UP NEXT: Sul Ross State takes on the University of Dallas in Irving for a 2:30 p.m. CST match on Saturday, Sept. 2.