Tyler Lady Lions' Tajia Hambrick (6) and Zaniah Johnson (2) prepare for the Kilgore serve during Tuesday's match in Tyler.

Both teams were refusing to lose on Tuesday night in the volleyball opener between host Tyler and visitor Kilgore.

The Lady Lions and Lady Bulldogs battled to the end before Tyler scored a 3-2 win at the THS Gymnasium.

Tyler won 25-18, 23-25, 25-14, 21-25, 17-15.

Both squads were all over the court.

It appeared the Lady Lions had the match clinched by jetting out to 8-2 and 14-8 leads in the fifth set. But with Brooke Couch serving, the Lady Bulldogs fought back to tie the match at 13-13, eventually taking a 15-14 lead.

However, Tyler scored the final three points of the match with a hard smash from Amaya Moon to tie the contest at 15-15. Then Maliyah Jones set up Maniya Simpson for a kill and a 16-15 advantage.

Libero Kristen Williams served it out with a hard smash that Kilgore could not get back over the net in three hits.

Tyler coach Claudia Viramontes was pleased with the effort of her Lady Lions, but is hopeful of better communication.

“We have a number of young players with a few veterans; We are missing a connection but hopefully we will work together to correct that,” Viramontes said.

Williams led the Lady Lions with 26 digs and three aces.

Other standouts for Tyler were Tajia Hambrick (13 kills, 3 blocks, 13 assists), Simpson (3 aces, 10 kills, 7 blocks, 6 digs), Zaniah Johnson (10 kills, 5 blocks), Moon (2 aces, 7 kills, 18 digs) and Jones (26 assists, 12 digs).

Tyler won the first set by scoring the final five points for a 25-18 advantage. Moon had two kills in the run with Johnson adding one.

In the second set, the contest was tied at 23-23 after a dink and block from Johnson. After a Lady Lions miscue, Catherine Dennis and Summer Hayden combined for the winning block after a laser serve by Alana Mumphrey for a 25-23 win.

The Lady Lions dominated the third set, bolting out to an 11-2 lead with kills from Johnson, Kemani Rollins and Hambrick, along with a dink and kill from Simpson. Williams served nine straight points and eventually Tyler was on top 25-14.

The Blue & White squad appeared to be cruising in set four, taking a 12-5 advantage. However, Kilgore battled back to take a 19-17 lead. After a 19-19 tie, Dennis was at the serving line giving Kilgore a 23-19 lead.

The Lady Lions pulled within 23-21 on a great save by Hambrick and a put-away by Williams.

Kilgore tied the match at 2-2 as Maleah Thurmond had a kill, followed by an ace from Maddison Harris.

That set up the fifth set.

Kilgore won the JV match, 2-1 (25-13, 15-25, 25-20). The Lady Bulldogs also won the freshmen match, 2-1 (20-25, 25-23, 15-12).

Both the Lady Lions and the Lady Bulldogs are competing in the Tyler ISD Tournament, which has play on Thursday, Friday and Saturday at Tyler High School and Tyler Legacy High School.

The Lady Lions’ home games on Thursday include: vs. Jacksonville, 11 a.m.; vs. Gilmer, 2 p.m.; and vs. Mineola, 3 p.m.

Kilgore will be playing at Tyler Legacy HS on Thursday. The Lady Bulldogs play West Rusk (noon), Rusk (1 p.m.) and Tyler Legacy (3 p.m.).