Box Score

CHICAGO, Illinos – The University of Texas-Pan American Broncs volleyball team beat the Chicago State University Cougars 3-1 on Thursday at Jacoby Dickens Center to clinch a third place finish and a spot in the Great West Conference Tournament semifinals.
 
Additionally, senior libero Juri Franzen recorded 22 digs, marking her program record 16^th career 20+ digs match, breaking a tie with Jacklyn Muszynski (2000-03), the previous record holder, who had 15.
 
The Broncs (10-17, 3-4 GWC) had been in a tight race with the New Jersey Institute of Technology Highlanders, who lost to Utah Valley 3-1 on Thursday to finish with a conference record of 3-5. Now at 3-4, the Broncs are guaranteed to at least finish tied with the Highlanders. In the case of a tie, the Broncs and Highlanders would be even in the first two tiebreaking categories, head-to-head record and record against other conference opponents from the top down. The third tiebreaker is head-to-head sets winning percentage. The Broncs won five of nine head-to-head sets, giving them a .556 winning percentage. The Highlanders are at .444.
 
Now at 10 wins overall, the Broncs have more wins this season than they have had in any season since 2007, when they won 15 matches.
 
Five Broncs recorded at least nine kills, as Krysta Freitas and Michelle McNamee each had 10 while Maria Kliefoth, Diara Reynolds and Sarah Davis each had nine. Freitas recorded a double-double by adding 17 digs. Kliefoth had a match-best .471 hitting percentage. Nycole Masaki recorded 41 assists.
 
The Cougars (2-28, 0-7 GWC) jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the first set, but the Broncs came back to tie the set for the first time at 8-8 on a Sydney Van Munster attack error, and then take their first lead at 10-9 on a service ace by Freitas. A little later, the Broncs led 13-12, but Valeria Desiderio came up with a pair of kills to power a 4-0 run that put the Cougars back on top. The Broncs came back to tie the set twice, at 16-16 and 19-19, but the Cougars went on to win 25-21.
 
The Cougars again took an early lead in the second set, going up 7-0. The Broncs got two back on errors by the Cougars, but a pair of Desiderio kills again gave the Cougars a seven-point lead, which they maintained until it was 12-5. Five kills by Freitas and an ace by McNamee powered a 7-2 run that saw the Broncs pull within 14-12. The Broncs pulled even for the first time at 15-15 on an attack error by Desiderio. The Broncs took their first lead at 19-18 on a kill by McNamee. The Cougars came back to have a chance at set point, up 24-23, but a service error by Mia Townsell, a ball handling error by Madeleine Radtke and a kill by Reynolds allowed the Broncs to come back to win 26-24.
 
The Broncs struck first in the third set, going up 3-1. The Cougars got to within 9-8, but two kills by Davis and one by Reynolds fueled a 5-0 run that saw the Broncs go up by six. The Cougars scored three-straight to pull within 14-11, but the Broncs responded with a 5-2 run to pull away for a 25-16 victory.
 
Two kills by Desiderio and one by Van Munster helped the Cougars take a quick 5-1 lead in the fourth set, but after a time out, the Broncs came back to tie the set for the first time at 10-10 on a block by Reynolds and Davis, and then take their first lead on the next serve on a kill by Reynolds. The Cougars tied it up right away, but Davis responded with a kill that made it 12-11, giving the Broncs a lead that they did not relinquish, as they went on to win 25-21.
 
Desiderio led the Cougars with 18 kills while Van Munster and Alyssa Podwell each had 11 kills.
 
The Broncs close out the regular season on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. when they visit Houston Baptist.
 
The University of Texas-Pan American Department of Intercollegiate Athletics competes at the NCAA Division I level. UTPA, formerly known as Pan American College and Pan American University, is a part of the University of Texas System of Schools. The Broncs compete in 14 varsity sports: men's and women's basketball, golf, tennis, track and field, and cross country, along with women's volleyball and men's baseball. The Broncs have won six team national championships, including the 1963 NAIA Championship in men's basketball and every NAIA Championship in men's tennis from 1961 through 1965. The Broncs also have also won 10 individual national championships, all in men's tennis, with six NAIA doubles championships and four NAIA singles championships. UTPA has been a member of the Great West Conference in 12 sports since 2009-10. Men's golf competes in the America Sky Conference while men's tennis competes in the Southland Conference.