SEATTLE, Wash. – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) volleyball team moved into sole possession of first place in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) standings with a 3-0 (25-23, 25-13, 25-20) victory over Seattle U on Saturday at the Redhawk Center.
 
UTRGV (19-8, 10-3 WAC) is now half a match ahead of idle Kansas City (9-3 WAC) with three matches, all of which are at home, before the WAC Tournament.
 
Additionally, UTRGV has clinched a top-three seed in the WAC Tournament. UTRGV now has a 1.5-game lead over third place New Mexico State (8-4 WAC) for a top-two finish and a first-round bye.
 
This was UTRGV's final regular season road match, and UTRGV broke the NCAA Division I program record for road wins, now with a record of 9-3. The previous record was eight road wins, achieved in 2003 (8-9) and 1996 (8-4).
 
UTRGV is now on a five-match winning streak for the second time this season.
 
Senior Ragni Steen Knudsen led UTRGV with17 kills on .270 hitting, two aces, five digs and four blocks. Junior Barbara Silva finished with 13 kills on .524 hitting and two blocks.
 
Rachel Stark led Seattle U (9-16, 2-10 WAC) with eight kills.
 
Seattle U scored the first five points of the match and still led by five at 11-6. That's when kills by senior Antonela Jularic bookended a 12-5 run to give UTRGV an 18-16 lead. Seattle U scored four of the next five points to take a 20-19 lead before an error and a Jularic ace put UTRGV back on top. After a Stark kill tied the set, three Knudsen kills helped UTRGV score four of the final six points to win the set.
 
Seattle U had the early lead in set two as well, going up 4-2 before two kills and an ace by Knudsen sparked a 7-1 run to put UTRGV up 9-5. Then, with UTRGV's lead cut to 11-9, three more Knudsen kills powered a 6-1 run to put UTRGV up 17-10. UTRGV still led seven at 20-13 when UTRGV went on a 5-0 run, capped by back-to-back kills by senior Dubravka Vukoja, to end the set.
 
UTRGV jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the third set. The set tightened up from there, as the score was tied at 11. A kill by junior Talita Oliveira, however, sparked a 6-0 run to give UTRGV the lead. Seattle U pulled to within three a trio of times, including at 19-22 before a Silva kill and a Vukoja ace brought UTRGV to match point. One serve later, a Vukoja kill ended the match.
 
UTRGV is back in action on Thursday at 7 p.m. against California Baptist at the UTRGV Fieldhouse. Doors open at 6.

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