PHOENIX, Ariz. – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros volleyball team fell to the Grand Canyon University Lopes 0-3 (11-25, 19-25, 22-25) on Monday at GCU Arena.
 
Senior Samaret Caraballo led the Vaqueros (0-7, 0-5 WAC) with her second double-double, posting 13 kills and 12 digs. Graduate student Mackenzie Coates dished out 28 assists with seven digs, two kills and two blocks. Sophomore Victoire Nama finished with seven kills.
 
Yeny Murillo led the Lopes (5-2, 5-2 WAC) with 16 kills on .485 hitting. Kaira Moss recorded 11 kills on .350 hitting. KJ Adams posted 23 digs while Klaire Mitchell came up with 39 assists and nine digs.
 
After dropping the first set, the Vaqueros led early in the second set, going up 1-0 on a Coates ace, 3-1 on a Nama ace, 4-3 on a Caraballo kill, 5-4 on an error, 7-5 on a Nama kill and 8-6 on a kill by senior Veronika Jandova. Then, down 10-12, Caraballo came up with back-to-back kills to tie the set at 12. One serve later, a Coates kill tied the set at 13. Two points later, a Jandova kill and a Caraballo ace tied the set at 15. The Lopes, however, responded by winning seven of the next eight serves to take the lead for good.
 
The third set was tight as well, with the Vaqueros going up 2-0 on a Caraballo kill and then the scoring getting tied at 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 14 and 15 before the Vaqueros regained the lead at 16-15 on a block by Coates and senior Debora Nazario. The Lopes scored the next three points before the Vaqueros pulled to within 17-18 on a Nama block, 18-19 on a kill by freshman Ada Bulgur and 19-20 on a Caraballo kill, but that's as close as they got.
 
UTRGV and Grand Canyon complete the series on Tuesday at 4 p.m. at GCU Arena.
 
Fans can watch for free online at WACDigitalNetwork.com.

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