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RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros volleyball team beat the CSU Bakersfield Roadrunners 3-1 (16-25, 25-20, 25-19, 27-25) on Saturday at the UTRGV Fieldhouse.
 
Senior Barbara Silva led the Vaqueros (9-11, 3-3 WAC) with 15 kills and three blocks. Sophomore Sarah Cruz posted her fifth double-double with 14 kills, 11 digs and a career-high tying four aces. Freshman Victoire Nama recorded 13 kills with seven digs and two aces. Junior Debora Nazario posted her eighth double-double with 44 assists, 11 digs and four blocks. Junior Samaret Caraballo finished with a career-high tying 25 digs.
 
Brooke Boiseau led the 'Runners (7-11, 2-4 WAC) with 17 kills on .441 hitting and two blocks. Hayley McCluskey recorded 11 kills and seven digs. Leisa Elisaia posted a double-double with 44 assists and 11 digs.
 
After dropping the first set, the Vaqueros fell behind 1-4 in the second set. Cruz responded with four kills and an ace as part of a 12-1 run to put the Vaqueros up 13-5. The 'Runners won the next four serves, but the Vaqueros pushed back with a 7-2 run, capped by a Silva kill, to go up 20-11. The Vaqueros reached set point for the first time at 24-15 on a Cruz ace before winning the set on a Nama kill.
 
The third set was tight throughout. The Vaqueros trailed 15-16 when an error gave Nama the chance to serve nine times in a row. She came up with two aces while Cruz added two kills to put the Vaqueros up 23-16. The Vaqueros reached set point on a Silva kill before winning on an attack error.
 
The 'Runners jumped out to a 9-5 lead in the fourth set. The Vaqueros took their first lead at 13-12 on an ace by Julia Moctezuma. Then, with the score tied at 14, an ace by junior Veronika Jandova and a Cruz kill helped the Vaqueros win three-straight serves. The Vaqueros went up 19-15 on a Nama kill, but the 'Runners came back to tie the set at 21. A Cruz kill put the Vaqueros back on top, but the 'Runners scored the next three points to reach set point. Kills by Cruz and Nama tied the set. One serve later, a Nama killed tied the set at 25. Then, after an error gave the Vaqueros match point, a block by Nazario and senior Talita Oliveira ended the match.
 
UTRGV returns to the road for its next two matches, starting on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Chicago State.

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