The Temple College Leopards got their 2025 season underway on Friday in Snyder at the Western Texas College Volleyball Tournament.

The Leopards led off the day against Otero College.

TC played well against the Rattlers, though Otero was able to edge the Leopards in the third game. Temple won 3-1, with match scores of 25-19, 25-20, 24-26, and 25-13.

In the opener, the Leopards overcame a three-point disadvantage twice with patient play and kills by Yasmine Traore, Riley Mendiola, and Lana Wright. Wright and Hanna Ward collected aces during the 14-5 set-closing run in the first game to give the Leopards a 1-0 match lead.

Traore and Kharma Brown had key kills in the second game, in addition to excellent sets and back-to-back aces by Abbie Soileau to lift the Leopards past another three-point margin and busted the game open with a 10-5 run to close out the second set.

The Rattlers opened up a 17-10 lead in game three when Temple answered with seven unanswered points, thanks to solid service by Soileau and a cannonading kill shot by Traore to tie the game at 17-17. Temple fought off two game points before Otero scored the last two points to clip TC's lead in the match to one game.

The Leopards were leading 5-4 when Temple closed the game on a 20-9 stretch, powered by kill shots from Traore and Brown, and aces from Ward, Sarah Rodriguez, and Karlee Williamson.

In the late game, the Leopards took on tournament host Western Texas College.

The Westerners put together streaks in all three games to pull off a sweep of the Leopards. Scores of the match were 25-17, 25-17, and 25-19.

Temple finished the day 1-1 and will have back-to-back morning games at the WTC Campus Gymnasium. The Leopards will take on Dallas College Cedar Valley at 9 am, followed by the Vernon College Chaparrals at 11 am.