RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros volleyball team was recognized by the City Commission of Brownsville Tuesday for its achievements during the 2022 season. 
 
The Vaqueros brought NCAA Division I postseason matches to the Valley for the first time in 2022 as they hosted the first and second rounds of the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC) at the UTRGV Fieldhouse. They claimed their first postseason victory in program history as they advanced to the quarterfinals of the NIVC. 
 
UTRGV set a program record with 27 wins and was one of just 18 teams in the nation to win that many matches or more during the 2022 season. The Vaqueros won the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) regular season championship and hosted the WAC Volleyball Tournament as the No. 1 seed. They went 13-1 in conference play, setting program records in home wins (13), road wins (10), conference road wins (seven) and tied the program record in WAC wins (13). 
 
In the process of the incredible season, head coach Todd Lowery became the winningest coach in program history after previously leading legacy institution UT Brownsville to two national championships. He coached at UTB from 2009 until the merger, when he was then named the first and only coach in UTRGV history. 
 
The proclamation also acknowledged the Vaqueros for their efforts to #RallyTheValley and making "a major impact" on the community. The volleyball team welcomed 90 girls to a pair of free youth clinics they held in Cameron County in April, teaching and engaging with middle school aged volleyball players and younger at Brownsville Pace and Brownsville Rivera High Schools. 
 
"We'd like to thank the mayor, the city commissioners and the City of Brownsville for honoring this team and the season they had," Lowery said. "It took a lot of hard work for them to do what they did this season and I'm very proud of this group of student-athletes." 

Support UTRGV Volleyball | Become a Fan on Facebook | Follow us on Twitter | Follow us on Instagram | Follow us on YouTube