LUBBOCK – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) volleyball team swept Lamar 3-0 (25-14, 25-17, 25-21) to conclude day one of the Red Raider Classic on Friday at United Supermarkets Arena.
 
Junior Ragni Steen Knudsen led UTRGV (3-6) with 12 kills on .455 hitting and six digs. Senior Bojana Mitrovic finished with 11 kills on .391 hitting. Sophomore Barbara Silva recorded seven kills and two blocks.
 
Ivette Dim led Lamar (1-3) with seven kills on .667 hitting.
 
UTRGV jumped out to a 5-3 lead in the first set on the power of kills by Knudsen, freshman Talita Oliveira, and Mitrovic. Lamar closed the gap to one at 5-6, but a Silva kill was the first of four-straight points as UTRGV went up 10-5. Lamar won five of the next six serves to pull within 10-11, and was still within one at 13-14 before Silva bookended an 11-1 run with kills to give UTRGV the set.
 
Lamar led 7-3 to start the second set before a pair of kills by Silva and kills by Mitrovic, Knudsen and junior Alexandra Ecker allowed UTRGV to score six-straight points to take the lead. Lamar tied the set at 9, 10 and 11, and was still within one at 13-14, but another late burst by UTRGV, this time a 9-1 run, put the set out of reach.
 
Junior Dubravka Vukoja opened the third set with consecutive aces as UTRGV scored the first four points en route to a 13-7 lead. Lamar pulled within two at 14-16, but UTRGV pushed back, going up 18-14 on an Ecker ace and 19-15 on a Knudsen kill. Lamar came back to tie the set at 21 on a Bre'Ala Box kill, but after a pair of Lamar attack errors, freshman Debora Nazario served up an ace and Ecker came up with a block to end the match.
 
UTRGV closes out the tournament on Saturday at 1 p.m. against host Texas Tech.

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