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EDINBURG, Texas – The University of Texas-Pan American Broncs volleyball team had a chance at match point in the fourth set before ultimately falling to UTB/TSC 3-2 on Saturday at the UTPA Fieldhouse in front of a crowd of 752.
 
The Broncs' season attendance through three home matches is now 2,611, which is higher than in any full season in program history since 2002, when the Broncs drew 2,685 fans in 11 matches. The program record for attendance in a single season was set in 1995 when the Broncs drew 3,266 fans in 11 matches. The Broncs have six home matches remaining.
 
Up 2-1 in the match but down 24-22 in the fourth set, the Broncs (3-10) pulled even on a pair of attack errors by UTB/TSC (9-0), the defending NAIA National Champions who are currently ranked No. 1 in the NAIA. Diara Reynolds served up an ace to give the Broncs match point, but a block by UTB/TSC and two attack errors by the Broncs allowed UTB/TSC to take the set 27-25.
 
In the fifth set, the Broncs jumped out to a 4-1 lead thanks in part to kills by Krysta Freitas, Maria Kliefoth and Michelle McNamee, but after a timeout, UTB/TSC scored four-straight points to take the lead. The Broncs took their final lead at 6-5 on a block by Freitas and Haley Durham. The set was tied for the last time at 7-7 after a service error by Danica Markovic, at which point UTB/TSC scored four-straight to take the lead en route to a 15-11 win.
 
Markovic led all players with 14 kills to go with 17 digs. She was one of three UTB/TSC players to record double-doubles, joining Ana Guerra, who had 13 kills and 12 blocks, and Erica Chimak, who had 10 kills and 16 digs.
 
Freitas led the Broncs with 13 kills and a career-high 20 digs while recording her second-career double-double. Reynolds finished with 12 kills, eight digs and four blocks, McNamee had 11 kills, eight digs and two blocks while Kliefoth had a season-high 10 kills with a season-high four blocks. Nycole Masaki recorded her first-career double-double with career-highs in assists and digs with 45 and 15 respectively.
 
The Broncs took the first and third sets 25-23 while UTB/TSC won the second set 25-17.
 
The Broncs became just the second team to win one set against UTB/TSC this year and the first team to win two sets.
 
The Broncs return to action on Friday at 6:00 p.m. at Norfolk State in the first match of the Spartan Invitational.
 
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 all-sports division of the Great West Conference since 2009-10.