RIO GRANDE VALLEY – There was one very consistent priority for The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) volleyball team to have success in 2023: improve defensive efficiency to take pressure off the hitters. 
 
That mission was accomplished. Behind the indispensable play of junior Kiaraliz Perez, a junior college transfer who immediately earned the libero role with her incredible instincts and endless effort, UTRGV's elevated defense and consistent passing helped the Vaqueros diversify the attack and compete at a high level. 
 
Perez was crowned the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Libero of the Year and made the All-WAC First Team, accumulating 470 digs with an average of 4.83 digs per set during the conference season. She earned four WAC Libero of the Week honors, highlighting her progress from week to week as she settled into her new team. Perez capped the year with 27 consecutive matches reaching double-digit digs, eclipsing 20 digs five times including four matches in a row while battling an injury late in the season. 
 
Junior setter Luanna Emiliano and junior right side Perris Key contributed to the defensive renaissance. Emiliano ranked eighth in the WAC with 362 digs, putting up better defensive numbers than several liberos in the conference. Key stepped into an every-rotation role and produced career numbers across the board, including totaling 243 digs with some highlight-reel hustle plays to keep the Vaqueros in rallies. Freshman defensive specialist Isa Bento improved throughout the season and stepped up nicely when Perez was sidelined. 
 
With the passers performing at a high level, UTRGV was able to open up the offense, taking pressure off any one hitter to carry the load. Six different Vaqueros led the team in kills in at least one match – Key was the top producer early and paced UTRGV's attack in 11 matches, while junior outside Claudia Lupescu found another level in her game to lead the Vaqueros down the stretch. 
 
UTRGV had six student-athletes tally at least 150 kills in the season – making it one of seven teams with that much consistent depth. The Vaqueros had the most variety of any attack in the WAC. Freshman outside hitter Nadine Zech showcased her unmatched power more and more as the season went on, proving to be one of UTRGV's dependable pins. 
 
Zech's impressive debut season led to her making the WAC All-Freshman Team. She totaled 234 kills, finishing as UTRGV's third-most productive hitter despite missing four matches. Zech also accumulated 120 digs, 25 blocks and 10 aces. 
 
Lupescu was selected to the First Team All-WAC. She was UTRGV's top point producer, averaging 3.41 points per set as she led the Vaqueros with 2.91 kills per set and racked up 262 kills on the season. Lupescu was dynamic in the final five matches of the season, averaging 17.4 kills per match as she took over the offense. Twice she recorded a career-high 23 kills, hitting .444 and .302 in those matches, including a masterful performance to aid UTRGV's thrilling 3-2 win over Tarleton State in the first round of the WAC Tournament. Lupescu was second on the team with 19 aces and tabbed 150 digs and 43 blocks. 
 
Emiliano earned First Team All-WAC honors as she led the conference with 1,164 assists and 49 aces. She facilitated the offense efficiently, giving each hitter the chance to shine while recording 88 kills herself with smart second-touch attacks. 
 
Key finished the season with a team-high 272 kills on .244 hitting, averaging 3.14 points per set. Senior middle blocker Luisa Silva Dos Santos finished with 231 kills on .306 hitting, junior outside hitter Ilana De Assis had 183 and junior middle blocker Margherita Giani tabbed 158. Freshman middle/right side Julianna Bryant also made an impact in her rookie season, totaling 38 kills and 17 blocks and providing a spark off the bench at key moments. 
 
The combination of sound defense and a unique offense led to a 19-12 season for the Vaqueros. UTRGV went 12-4 in the WAC to qualify for the conference tournament as the #3 seed, advancing to the semifinals. The Vaqueros ripped off four consecutive sweeps early in the conference season and won six WAC matches in sweeping fashion. 
 
The end of the 2023 season brought the conclusion of the UTRGV careers for Santos and Giani. Santos leaves with the second-best career hitting percentage (.301), fourth-most career block assists (269), sixth-most career total blocks (311) and third in career blocks per set (0.90). Giani boasts the fifth-best career hitting percentage (.276) and is fourth in career blocks/set (0.87). Both middles started every match this season and were not only mainstays and solid contributors on the court, but leaders off the court as well. 
 
Emiliano's 2023 season resulted in the setter tallying the fifth-most assists in a single season and the sixth-most aces. She moved up to second all-time with 3,569 career assists, fourth with 121 career aces, and sixth with 1,118 career digs. Emiliano eclipsed 3,000 assists and 1,000 digs in the season, becoming only the eighth active player to hit both thresholds. 
 
With nine new faces in the gym, the Vaqueros needed some time to gel and get the program firing on all cylinders. The team's chemistry developed through good times and hard moments, and UTRGV treated its loyal supporters to another successful season. Many of the plethora of weapons that contributed to the season will be back in 2024, proving that the program is in a good place to continue elevating. 

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