RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros volleyball team beat the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns 3-2 (20-25, 25-23, 25-27, 25-21, 15-12) in the home opener on Thursday in front of a raucous crowd of 753 at the UTRGV Fieldhouse.
 
Junior Sarah Cruz led the Vaqueros (3-3) with a career-high 26 kills and 11 digs for her second double-double. Senior Veronika Jandova recorded 16 kills. Freshman Luanna Emiliano posted her fifth double-double with 57 assists, 15 digs and three aces. Freshman Edinburg North alum Evana Ramos posted a team-high 17 digs
 
Kelsey Bennett led the Ragin' Cajuns (3-2) with 27 kills and 18 digs. Emery Judkins recorded 11 kills and three blocks. Cami Hicks also posted 11 kills and three blocks. Siena DeCambra finished with 55 assists and 13 digs.
 
After dropping the first set, the Vaqueros fell behind 4-7 in the second set. The Vaqueros responded with a 5-2 run, capped by a Cruz kill, to tie the set at 9. The Cajuns scored the next three points before a Cruz kill sparked a 4-0 run to put the Vaqueros up 13-12. Then, with the score 15-14, the Cajuns scored three-straight points to go back on top 17-15. The teams traded points for the next few serves. Then, with the Vaqueros down 19-21, Cruz kills bookended a 6-2 run with kills to end the set.
 
The third set was tight early, as with the Cajuns up 7-4, the Vaqueros scored three-straight points to tie the set on a Cruz kill. The Cajuns took control for a little while, going up 19-15 before a 6-1 run, capped by a kill by freshman Ingridy Foltran, put the Vaqueros up 21-20. The Vaqueros got to set point at 24-23 on an ace by freshman Perris Key. The Cajuns scored the next two to reach set point before an error tied the set at 25. Bennett responded with back-to-back kills to end the set.
 
Cruz opened the fourth set with a kill and Emiliano followed with an ace as the Vaqueros raced out to a 9-3 lead. The Vaqueros' lead was cut to 17-15 when Cruz came up with a kill and followed that up by combining on a block with sophomore Luisa Silva Dos Santos to spark a 3-0 run that put the Vaqueros up 20-15. Then, on set point at 24-21, Jandova sent down the final kill to force a fifth set.
 
The fifth set was a back and forth affair until late in the set when, with the Vaqueros down 11-12, an error tied it and a Jandova kill gave the Vaqueros a 13-12 lead. After a Cajuns timeout, Jandova and Emiliano came up with a block to give the Vaqueros match point, and then Jandova ended the match with a kill.
 
UTRGV continues the UTRGV Tournament on Friday at 7 p.m. at the UTRGV Fieldhouse against Incarnate Word. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at UTRGVTickets.com. Those unable to attend the match in person can watch in the United States on ESPN+ or internationally on the WAC Digital Network.
 
Louisiana plays Texas Southern at 3 on the WAC Digital Network.

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