EDINBURG – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros volleyball team fell to the University of Missouri-Kansas City Kangaroos 1-3 (21-25, 17-25, 25-22, 17-25) on Thursday at the UTRGV Fieldhouse.
 
In her debut as the Vaqueros (7-9, 0-2 WAC) libero, redshirt junior San Benito alum Kasey Sanchez had a career-high 30 digs. On her birthday, junior Megan Dempsey had a career-high 19 digs while sophomore Bojana Mitrovic had a career-high 16 digs to go with 18 kills and three blocks for her fifth double-double. Junior Alisha Watson had 10 kills. Freshman Dubravka Vukoja had a career-high 36 assists.
 
Madison Mosier led the Kangaroos (9-6, 2-1 WAC) with 13 kills on .462 hitting. Sydney Crimmins had 12 kills with 13 digs and four blocks.
 
The Vaqueros picked up their first WAC set victory of the year by using a 14-3 run to come back from an 11-19 deficit. A pair of Watson kills started the run as the Vaqueros scored five-straight points to pull within three. The Vaqueros pulled within two for the first time at 18-20 on a Dempsey kill. After back-to-back points by the 'Roos, the Vaqueros called timeout, and then went on a 7-0 run that included kills by Dempsey, senior Haley Durham, and Mitrovic.
 
The Vaqueros trailed 11-19 in the fourth set as well, and Durham had two kills while combining with Mitrovic on a block to pull within six, but that's as close as they got.
 
Freshman Alexandra Ecker had two immediate kills as the Vaqueros jumped out to a 2-0 first set lead. After the 'Roos tied it, the Vaqueros again built two-point leads at 5-3 on a Watson kill, 7-5 on a Mitrovic kill, 10-8 on a Durham ace, and 11-9 on a Mitrovic kill. The 'Roos took the lead shortly afterward on a block by Skyler Muff and Jessica Hendin that made it 12-11. The Vaqueros came back to tie it at 13 on a Watson kill and take the lead on an Ecker ace. The set was still tied at 15 after an error, but a block by Mosier and Taylor Buhrow gave the 'Roos the lead for the rest of the set.
 
The 'Roos jumped out to a 9-3 lead in the second set, but back-to-back kills by Watson sparked a 5-2 run as the Vaqueros pulled within 8-11. The Vaqueros closed to within two at 11-13 on a Mitrovic kill, but a Hendin kill started a 5-0 run as the 'Roos pulled away for a 2-0 lead.
 
The Vaqueros are back in action on Saturday at 12 p.m. when they host Chicago State. Gates open at 11 a.m.

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