SHERMAN, Texas â€" The Texas Lutheran volleyball team has won five out of its first six matches. That's a pretty great start. It's made even better given all five wins have been sweeps after TLU swept both Howard Payne and UT-Dallas on Friday afternoon at the Austin College Invitational.
 
The pair of wins improves the Bulldogs' record to 5-1 on the year, matching their start from last year.
 
In Friday's first match, the Bulldogs outscored Howard Payne 75-34 in a three-set sweep, defeating the Yellow Jackets 25-12, 25-12, 25-10.
 
As the score would indicate, the match and stats were tilted the Bulldogs' way. TLU's .385 hitting percentage was its highest since hitting .484 against Sul Ross State in 2009. On the flipside, the defense held HPU to .019 hitting, forcing 17 attack errors and allowing just 19 kills.
 
Of course, in a match with as few points as Friday afternoon's had, there aren't many kills to go around. Leading the way for the Bulldogs was Brette Threadgill (Sinton, Texas). The sophomore finished with 10 kills (.333 hitting), reaching double-figure kills in each of her first five matches.
 
Redshirt-sophomore Carlie Childres (Leander, Texas) was one of the keys to the incredible efficiency the Bulldogs displayed against Howard Payne. The middle blocker racked up seven kills on nine attempts, hitting .778 in the process. She also racked up three digs and two blocks.
 
While the hitters and middle blockers get a lot of the credit for the big day against the Yellow Jackets, they need someone setting them up. That's where Katie Darst (Euless, Texas) played a key role, tallying 17 digs in the short three sets. The senior came up with eight digs, as well.
 
Anna Keeling (Houston, Texas), in the lineup for the first time this season, didn't waste much time making an impact. The junior middle blocker finished the match with a box score-stuffing line of 10 digs, six kills and five blocks.
 
The Bulldogs kept the momentum rolling into the late-afternoon, with their 26-24, 25-23, 25-12 sweep of the Comets. They battled UT-Dallas to two close wins in the opening two sets before closing things out with a convincing third set.
 
Darst was the star in the matchup against the Comets. She finished with her second double-double of the season, tallying 21 assists to go along with 14 digs.
 
Megan Lee (Universal City, Texas) led the team with 18 digs. The senior also came up with three assists and an ace.
 
No Bulldog finished the match with double-digit kills, as they hit .172 as a team. Sophomore Kristin Fording (San Antonio, Texas) led the way with nine kills on .179 hitting.
 
Texas Lutheran will look to continue its strong start with two more matches tomorrow. The Bulldogs will take on UT-Tyler at 11 a.m. and close out the weekend with a 3 p.m. battle against LeTourneau.