KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros volleyball fell to the Missouri-Kansas City Kangaroos 1-3 (21-25, 25-23, 21-25, 21-25) on Saturday at the Swinney Recreation Center.
 
Sophomore Bojana Mitrovic led the Vaqueros (9-16, 2-8 WAC) with 20 kills, six digs and three blocks. Senior Haley Durham had 10 kills on .333 hitting with three blocks. Junior Alisha Watson had nine kills on .350 hitting.
 
Jessica Hendin led the Kangaroos (12-11, 5-6 WAC) with 16 kills on .268 hitting. Madison Mosier had 14 kills. Sydney Crimmins finished with 11 kills on .458 hitting and three blocks.
 
Freshman Alexandra Ecker had three-straight kills early in the first set to help the Vaqueros jump out to a 3-1 lead. Another Ecker kill helped the Vaqueros go up 11-10, but the 'Roos scored three-straight points to take the lead. The Vaqueros came back to tie it at 13 on a kill by junior Fatoumata Dacosta, and the set was still tied two serves later on a Durham kill, but kills by Crimmins and Meagan Kerns gave the 'Roos the lead for the rest of the set.
 
A Dacosta kill and a Durham kill helped power a 4-0 run as the Vaqueros took an early 6-3 lead in the second set. The 'Roos came back to take the lead at 10-9 on a block by Crimmins and Skyler Muff before extending their lead to 16-12 on a Mosier kill. The Vaqueros took the lead back at 18-17 on a block by Durham and Mitrovic. Then, down 22-23, Watson and Durham recorded kills before combining on a block to end the set.
 
The Vaqueros jumped out to a 5-2 lead in the third set on an Ecker ace and held the lead until a Taryn Miller ace tied it at 15 and a Crimmins kill gave the 'Roos the lead. Durham tied it at 16 with a kill, but the 'Roos responded with a 6-2 run to take the lead for good.
 
The 'Roos went up 5-2 in the fourth set on a Mosier kill, but the Vaqueros came back to tie it at 7 on an error. The Vaqueros tied the set again at 8 on an error, 9 on a Durham kill, 11 on a kill by Watson and 14 on an Ecker ace, but the 'Roos scored four-straight points to take the lead for the rest of the match.
 
The Vaqueros are back in action on Thursday at 7 p.m. when they host Grand Canyon at the UTRGV Fieldhouse. Doors open at 6.

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