PHOENIX – After a 10-day layoff, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros volleyball team returned to action to beat the Grand Canyon University Lopes 3-1 (25-21, 25-23, 17-25, 26-24) on Thursday at GCU Arena, completing the first half of Western Athletic Conference (WAC) play undefeated.
UTRGV (18-4, 7-0 WAC) is one of only 17 teams in the NCAA to remain undefeated in conference play, along with Hofstra (10-0 CAA), Loyola Chicago (9-0 A10), Nebraska (9-0 Big 10), Northern Iowa (9-0 MVC), Campbell (9-0 Big South), Creighton (8-0 BIG EAST), Florida A&M (8-0 SWAC), Houston (8-0, American), Louisville (8-0 ACC), Pittsburgh (8-0 ACC), San Diego (8-0 WCC), Rice (7-0 C-USA), Western Kentucky (7-0 C-USA), Wright State (7-0 Horizon), Yale (7-0 Ivy), and UMBC (4-0 America East).
UTRGV is now one of seven 18+ win teams in the NCAA, along with Towson (19-1), Western Kentucky (19-2), Stephen F. Austin (19-3), Pittsburgh (18-2), and Jacksonville State (18-3).
The Vaqueros are now tied for the sixth-winningest season in program history with the 1995 team, ranking behind only the 2018 (22), 2016 (21), 2003 (19), 2000 (19), and 1996 (19) teams.
The Vaqueros are off to the best 22-match start in NCAA Division I program history, three matches ahead of the 2016 team (15-7), and the best seven-match conference start in program history, one match ahead of the 2017 team (6-1).
The Vaqueros are now 7-2 on the road for the first time in program history, breaking the previous nine-match record of 6-3 set in 2021 and 2018.
Graduate student
Sarah Cruz led the Vaqueros with 24 kills and 15 digs for her ninth double-double. Junior
Luisa Silva Dos Santos recorded 12 kills and four blocks. Sophomore
Margherita Giani posted 11 kills on .556 hitting with two blocks. Sophomore
Perris Key recorded six kills and three blocks. Sophomore
Luanna Emiliano dished out 50 assists with 14 digs for her 15
th double-double. Junior
Regina Tijerina finished with 17 digs.
Tatum Parrott led the Lopes (10-9, 4-4 WAC) with 20 kills and 12 digs.
Hannah Eskes recorded 10 kills and five blocks.
Klaire Mitchell dished out 42 assists with 13 digs and five blocks.
Down 2-6 in the first set, a Key kill sparked a 4-0 run to help the Vaqueros pull even. Then, trailing 9-11, the Vaqueros scored three-straight points to take their first lead at 12-11. The Lopes regained the lead at 14-13 before a Giani kill kicked off a 7-2 run to put the Vaqueros up 20-16. The Lopes got as close as 19-20 before the Vaqueros scored three-straight points, capped by a block by Emiliano and Santos, to push the set out of reach.
The Lopes jumped out to a 7-2 lead in the second set. After a timeout, the Vaqueros went on a 5-0 run, starting with a block by Santos and Key, followed by three-straight Santos kills and an ace by graduate student
Sydney Schoen. The Lopes regained the lead, going up 13-9 before the Vaqueros went on a 10
-3 run to take a 19-16 advantage. The Lopes won the next two serves before a Cruz kill sparked a 3-0 run to put the Vaqueros up 22-18. The Lopes scored three-straight points to pull within one. After a timeout, though, a Cruz kill and a Santos ace brought the Vaqueros to set point. Two serves later, a service error ended the set.
The Vaqueros led early in set three, going up 3-2 on a Giani kill. The Vaqueros led again at 4-3 on a Cruz kill and 7-6 on a Santos kill. The Lopes won the next seven serves to take a 13-7 lead. The Vaqueros pulled within 10-13 on a Cruz kill, but that's as close as they got.
Kills by Cruz and Giani helped the Vaqueros jump out to a 5-3 lead in set four. The Vaqueros extended their lead to three at 13-10 on a Cruz kill. The Lopes won the next three serves before kills by Key and Santos gave the Vaqueros a 15-13 lead. The Lopes responded with a 7-1 run to go up 20-16. Back-to-back Cruz kills sparked an 8-3 run to give the Vaqueros match point at 24-23. One serve later, consecutive attack errors ended the match.
UTRGV is back in action on Saturday at 3 p.m. at California Baptist. Fans can watch domestically on
ESPN+ or internationally on
WAC International.
Support UTRGV Volleyball |
Become a Fan on Facebook |
Follow us on Twitter |
Follow us on Instagram |
Follow us on YouTube
