SMU volleyball is back on the court again after one of the program’s best seasons in 2014. The Mustangs opened their season on Friday in the DoubleTree Classic, which saw them play three matches in two days.

In the first match of a Friday doubleheader, SMU defeated UTEP 3-1. After winning the first two sets, the first in come-from-behind fashion, SMU dropped the third set but rebounded with a fourth-set win by scoring eight of the set’s final 10 points. Senior Abbey Bybel posted a double-double with 11 kills and 11 digs. Senior setter Avery Acker also recorded one, with 51 assists and 19 digs.

In Friday’s nightcap, SMU fell to No. 17 Arizona 3-1. The teams were tied at one after two sets, but SMU was unable to hold a 23-18 lead in the third set as the Wildcats came back to win it 27-25. They took the fourth set 25-20 to win. All four sets were decided by five points or less. Bybel and Acker each recorded their second double-double in as many games. Junior Janelle Giordano had 11 kills, nine digs and four blocks in the loss.

The next day, the Mustangs defeated Texas State in a 3-0 sweep, winning the first two sets by 10 and 15 points, respectively. Bybel scored a match-high 14 kills and Acker finished with another double-double with 47 assists and 18 digs. Junior libero Mogan Heise had 22 digs to bring her three-game total to 80.

Up next for SMU is the Lobo Classic in Albuquerque N.M. The Mustangs will start the event against Cal State-Fullerton on Sept. 4 at 6 p.m. central, then will play Santa Clara the following morning at 11:30.