RIVERSIDE, Calif. – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros volleyball team improved to 8-0 in Western Athletic Conference (WAC) play by sweeping the California Baptist University Lancers 3-0 (25-23, 25-21, 26-24) on Saturday at Van Dyne Gym.
UTRGV (19-4, 8-0 WAC) is one of only 17 teams in the NCAA to remain undefeated in conference play, along with Hofstra (11-0 CAA), Loyola Chicago (11-0 A10), Northern Iowa (11-0 MVC), Campbell (10-0 Big South), Creighton (10-0 BIG EAST), Nebraska (10-0 Big 10), Florida A&M (9-0 SWAC), Houston (9-0, American), Louisville (9-0 ACC), Pittsburgh (9-0 ACC), San Diego (9-0 WCC), Wright State (9-0 Horizon), Rice (8-0 C-USA), Western Kentucky (8-0 C-USA), Yale (8-0 Ivy), and UMBC (4-0 America East).
UTRGV is now one of nine 19+ win teams in the NCAA, along with Western Kentucky (20-2), Towson (19-1), Pittsburgh (19-2), South Dakota (19-2), Stephen F. Austin (19-3), Wright State (19-3), Jacksonville State (19-4), and Green Bay (19-7).
The Vaqueros are now tied for the third-winningest season in program history with the 2003, 2000 and 1996 teams, ranking behind only the 2018 (22) and 2016 (21) teams.
The Vaqueros are off to the best 23-match start in NCAA Division I program history, four matches ahead of the 2018 and 2016 teams (15-8), and the best eight-match conference start in program history, two matches ahead of the 2017 team (6-2).
The Vaqueros are now 8-2 on the road for the first time in program history, one match ahead of the 2018 team (7-3).
Graduate student
Sarah Cruz led the Vaqueros with 15 kills, six digs and three blocks. Sophomore
Claudia Lupescu posted eight kills on .412 hitting with four blocks. Junior
Luisa Silva Dos Santos recorded six kills on an error-free .462 hitting and three blocks. Sophomore
Margherita Giani recorded six kills and six blocks. Sophomore
Perris Key posted five kills. Sophomore
Luanna Emiliano dished out 31 assists with 17 digs and three kills for her 16
th double-double. Junior
Regina Tijerina finished with 17 digs and seven assists.
Scherine Dahoue led the Lancers (8-12, 3-6 WAC) with 12 kills.
Michalina Rola recorded 11 kills.
The Lancers jumped out to a 10-4 lead in the first set and still led by six at 16-10. That's when kills by Cruz and Giani sparked an 8-2 run to tie the set at 18. Two serves later, the Vaqueros went on a 5-0 run, capped by a Cruz kill, to take the lead for the first time and go up 23-20. The Lancers won the next three serves before an attack error and a Giani kill ended the set.
The second set was tight early, but with the set tied at 5, a Santos kill sparked a 5-0 run to put the Vaqueros up 10-5. The Lancers pulled within 9-11 before Cruz came up with back-to-back kills and then Key recorded a kill to make the score 14-9. The Lancers got as close as two three more times, including at 21-23 before Lupescu and Santos recorded kills to end the set.
The Lancers led 8-4 at the start of the third set. Kills by Key and Emiliano helped the Vaqueros chip away to pull within 8-11. The Vaqueros then scored five-straight points, capped by another Key kill, to take a 13-11 lead. The Lancers won four of the next five serves to take the lead. The Vaqueros tied the set at 15 and 16 on Lupescu kills. The Lancers scored five of the next six points to go up 21-17 before back-to-back Cruz kills sparked a 6-1 run to give the Vaqueros a 23-22 lead. The Lancers reached set point at 24-23 before a Giani kill and back-to-back attack errors ended the match.
UTRGV is back in action on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. against Stephen F. Austin at the UTRGV Fieldhouse. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at
UTRGVTickets.com. Current UTRGV students receive free general admission with their student ID. All fans need to follow the clear bag policy, details of which can be found at
GoUTRGV.com/ClearBag. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.
Fans unable to attend either match in person can watch domestically on
ESPN+ or internationally on
WAC International.
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