RIO GRANDE VALLEY – There was a palpable energy throughout the gym every time The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros volleyball team took the court at the UTRGV Fieldhouse. 
 
Fans came out in droves to support the Vaqueros, leading to another year of program bests at the box office. UTRGV saw 12,336 fans enter the gates to watch 10 matches, leading to an average attendance of 1,234 – a program record. UTRGV ranked second in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC), sixth in Texas and 60^thamong all 345 NCAA Div. I volleyball programs for average attendance during the 2023 season. 
 
Part of the incredible support came from an increase in season tickets. UTRGV broke the program record for the second year in a row for season ticket sales, totaling 239. 
 
The Vaqueros played in front of a program-record seven crowds of 1,000 or more fans, including three of the 10 largest crowds in program history. After every home match, head coach Todd Lowery's first comments in his postgame press conferences were praising the support of the UTRGV faithful. 
 
"It was so much fun playing at home this year," Lowery said. "We know people will show up and support us. The gym has been full, and not just full but just has a ton of energy. I think it speaks volumes about our supporters. Our student-athletes feed off the crowd and go in there and get on a roll. It keeps getting better and better, and that's awesome. It's a fun environment." 
 
UTRGV's biggest crowd of the season came against Incarnate Word on Sept. 12, with 2,167 rowdy fans filling the stands as part of Kids Day presented by Whataburger. It was the second-best crowd in program history. Other record-book crowds this season were 1,704 in the season-opener against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Sept. 5 as part of the South Texas Showdown presented by Rally Credit Union, and 1,407 on Oct. 26 to see the Vaqueros face Stephen F. Austin. 
 
To put those crowds into context, one should consider the attendance other Div. I programs in Texas draw. UTRGV saw better attendance than two Power Five programs in Baylor and Texas Tech. Twice the Vaqueros had more fans for a single match than one program had through 11 home matches combined. 
 
Of the five teams with a higher attendance average than UTRGV, three compete in the Big 12 and one is in the SEC. UTRGV ranks in the top 10 for total attendance in Texas despite having the fewest home matches with 10 on the schedule. The other nine teams ranged from 12-16 home contests. Even with five fewer matches on the 2023 slate, UTRGV nearly matched the program-record for total attendance set in 2022 of 13,208. 
 
The Vaqueros played in front of eight crowds of 1,000-plus in 2023, and only one of those was on the road. While away from the UTRGV Fieldhouse, the average crowd size for a road match the Vaqueros participated in was 466. Neutral site matches averaged 198 spectators. 
 
The Vaqueros finished the season with a 19-12 record and a .613 winning percentage. They won an impressive 75% of their road matches and they saw how a home environment can be a true advantage, especially in close contests. 
 
"The crowd support really does impact the game. We see it. We go on the road, and we've played in some gyms that definitely don't have the same crowd that we have," Lowery said. "We've been in some tight matches and we've been able to sneak out of some other gyms because they don't have anybody pushing them and helping them gain momentum like we do here." 
 
The love Vaqueros fans show for the volleyball team is certainly returned. Hundreds of fans line up after every match at the UTRGV Fieldhouse to get autographs and take pictures with the student-athletes. Squeals of joy and admiration and phrases like, "You're so good!" ring throughout the winding line as young volleyball players from across the Valley meet their role models, making sure to tell them if they wear the same number or play the same position. 
 
The Vaqueros are kind and show great appreciation for the girls and boys who look up to them whether they win or lose. The few hours spent inside the UTRGV Fieldhouse with the Vaqueros volleyball team make a major impact on so many lives, and those hours mean just as much to the student-athletes. 
 
Said senior middle blocker Luisa Silva Dos Santos after playing her last home match: "Before the game, I was talking to Coach Todd and told him, 'Today I'm emotional because it's always different playing here.' I wanted to cry the whole time because it's just amazing. I can't believe it was the last time. It's special." 

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