WACO – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley volleyball team successfully defended on match point seven times in the third set to force fourth and fifth sets before ultimately falling to Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi (TAMUCC) 2-3 (20-25, 19-25, 29-27, 25-23, 12-15) on Saturday at the Ferrell Center in their second match of the Hampton Inn North Baylor Invitational.
 
Junior Bojana Mitrovic led UTRGV (1-1) with 21 kills on .317 hitting, 15 digs, a career-high seven blocks a career-high trying three assists and two aces. Sophomore Ragni Steen Knudsen recorded 13 kills with 14 digs and two blocks. Freshman Barbara Silva finished with 10 kills on .348 hitting and five blocks. Senior Fatoumata Dacosta posted a career-high 27 digs.
 
Brittany Gilpin led TAMUCC (2-0) with 20 kills, 16 digs and five blocks. Madison Fitzsimmons recorded 15 kills and six blocks. Claire Karsten recorded 14 kills and nine digs. Morgan Carlson finished with 11 kills. Kristyn Nicholson recorded 53 assists and 18 digs.
 
After TAMUCC took the first two sets, UTRGV built a 17-13 third set lead. TAMUCC responded with an 11-3 run to reach match point, but a service error, a block by Knudsen and sophomore Alexandra Ecker, a block by Mitrovic and Ecker, and a kill by Mitrovic tied the set at 24. The two teams traded points from there, with UTRGV successfully defending on match point three more times, including a kill by Silva that tied the set 27. Sophomore Barbara Thais Krug followed with a kill and then UTRGV won the set on an attack error.
 
TAMUCC led for much of the fourth set, going up by six multiple times, including at 16-10. UTRGV scored five of the next six points, thanks in part to kills by Silva, Mitrivoic and junior Tina Sekulic, to pull within two. Then, down 19-21, a Mitrovic kill, an attack error, a block by Mitrovic and Silva and another attack error allowed UTRGV to take the lead. UTRGV reached set point on a block by Mitrovic and Silva before winning it on a Mitrovic kill.
 
In the fifth set, TAMUCC scored the first four points and seven of the first eight. After an attack error, however, Mitrovic came up with back-to-back kills to make it 4-7 and force TAMUCC to call timeout. Madeline Doud and Carlson recorded kills to push TAMUCC's lead to five, but a Silva kill and consecutive Mitrovic aces brought UTRGV within 7-9. UTRGV was still within two at 10-12 after an Ecker kill, and 11-13 following a Knudsen kill. UTRGV then pulled within one on an attack error, but a Karsten kill gave the Islanders match point, and this time they won it on a block by Fitzsimmons and Gilpin.
 
The first set was tight most of the way, with UTRGV taking a 13-12 lead on a kill by senior Alisha Watson. A Gilpin kill, however, sparked a 6-1 run as TAMUCC pulled away for a 1-0 lead.
 
The second set was tight as well, as UTRGV was within 14-15 on a Silva kill before TAMUCC embarked on a 9-2 run to push the set out of reach.
 
UTRGV concludes the tournament at 5 p.m. against Prairie View A&M (0-2).

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