NATCHITOCHES, La. – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros volleyball team swept the Northwestern State (NSU) Demons Thursday, 3-0 (25-16, 25-17, 25-12), in a Southland Conference (SLC) match at Prather Coliseum.
The Vaqueros (19-7, 14-1 SLC) earned their eighth sweep of the conference season and extended their program-best winning streak to 13 matches. With 19 wins, UTRGV has now tied the fourth-most wins in a season in program history. The program record is 27 set in 2022.
UTRGV will play its regular season finale Saturday at 11 a.m. at East Texas A&M. A win will secure at least a share of the conference title.
Junior middle blocker
Aaliyah Snead led UTRGV with seven kills on an errorless .700 hitting percentage while recording four blocks. Junior setter
Isabella Costantini notched her team-leading eighth double-double with 27 assists and 15 digs. Junior outside hitter
Nadine Zech had seven kills while sophomore outside hitter
Martina Franco, freshman outside hitter
Dimitra Nanou and the birthday girl redshirt sophomore Harlingen High alum
Julianna Bryant each had five. Bryant also had a career-high seven blocks.
The Vaqueros used five blocks and a trio of 4-0 runs to handily take the first set, 25-16. UTRGV only recorded nine kills in the frame but the defense was sharp, not only on the front line but with good digs from junior libero
Celianiz Cabranes. The Vaqueros served three aces in the first set, including the winner from senior Sharyland Pioneer alum
Natalie Reyes on a short drop inside the 10-foot line.
Set 2 was back-and-forth early until Reyes' serve sparked a 6-0 run with a pair of aces to give UTRGV a 10-5 advantage. Reyes finished with three aces. Nanou entered the match in the second set and tabbed four kills to get the offense rolling and have UTRGV as the first to 20. Cabranes showed why she's the back-to-back SLC Defensive Player of the Week on the set-winning rally, hustling after a shanked dig for a great save to keep the volley going, then notching a dig on a big swing. The play eventually resulted in a block by Bryant and junior
Giovana Ribeiro to win the set, 25-17.
Northwestern State (1-28, 0-15 SLC) opened up a 5-2 lead in the third set before the Vaqueros settled in. Zech recorded consecutive kills and a block from Bryant and Costantini scored four in a row to put UTRGV in control. Nanou's serve backed another 4-0 run for UTRGV. Freshman
Ana Julia Peixoto recorded three kills in the final 10 points to help the Vaqueros close the match on a 12-2 run and take the third, 25-12.
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