RIO GRANDE VALLEY – There was never a doubt in the UTRGV Women's Basketball locker room that the 2024-25 season would be special. With a pair of veterans setting the tone, that belief turned into a record-breaking season in several ways. 
 
"I think it was one of the most rewarding seasons that we've had since I've been here," head coach Lane Lord said. "We had some record-breaking performances, two all-conference players, best conference season in program history. We beat every team in the league besides Southeastern, and we had them on the ropes here. For Year 1 in the Southland Conference (SLC), I thought that was really cool and I'm proud of that."  
 
Before the season started, Lord said his team truly believed in each other and their ability to win. The Vaqueros called their shot early, saying they were going to beat Houston on the road in the opener. They were right. 
 
After winning just six games the previous season, UTRGV began the 2024-25 campaign with a bang, taking down Houston for the program's first win over a power conference opponent since 2003. 
 
The exciting win foreshadowed some of the main storylines for the season, including high-scoring contests backed by three-point efficiency, an impactful freshman class, and the dynamic duo of graduate student Kade Hackerott and junior Charlotte O'Keefe leading the way. 
 
UTRGV set a goal of scoring 70+ points and hit that mark in the 70-68 victory at Houston. The Vaqueros surpassed 70 points in 44% of their wins during the 16-16 campaign. They shot 44% from three-point range at Houston and went over 40% from behind the arc in five total contests in 2024-25, winning four of those games. 
 
Three of UTRGV's five freshmen – Sophia Zufelt, Gianna Angiolet and Kayla Lorenz – made immediate marks on the season in their collegiate debuts. Zufelt went 3-for-5 from three at Houston while Angiolet and Lorenz scored seven points each. Angiolet also had a game-high six assists. That trio, along with fellow freshman Elizabeth Romer, had their fair share of success throughout the year. The Vaqueros freshmen accounted for 56% (129-of-228) of UTRGV's threes, led by 56 from Lorenz. 
 
"All four played a lot of minutes and had their big moment," Lord said. "Gianna was solid all year and probably could've been freshman of the year if she hadn't got hurt. Kayla stepped up when she went down and really played well for us down the stretch. Lizzie, she kind of waited her turn and at the end of the year she took off. All four contributed a bunch and we're going to keep seeing that class just keep growing." 
 
Hackerott and O'Keefe scored 20 and 18 points, respectively, at Houston. The pair ended the season as they started it – as the team's leading scorers, averaging 13.1 and 10.7 points per game. O'Keefe knocked down the game-winning three-pointer with three seconds on the clock in that fateful victory, and Lord believes that strong performance kickstarted her incredible season.  
 
"I think after the Houston game, hitting the game-winning shot, you could just tell her confidence went through the roof," Lord said. 
 
O'Keefe went on to be the second-best rebounder in Div. I women's basketball during the 2024-25 season, behind only LSU's Aneesah Morrow, who was the seventh overall pick in the WNBA Draft. O'Keefe led the SLC in all four rebounding categories – total rebounds (400), rebounds per game (12.5), defensive RPG (8.0) and offensive RPG (4.5) – and was second, third, eighth and sixth in the nation, respectively, in those stats. 
 
She broke UTRGV program records for single-game rebounds (24), single-season rebounds, single-season double-doubles (16) and career rebounds (808 and counting). She became just the ninth woman in SLC history to record 400+ rebounds in a season. She collected 20+ rebounds in three games and recorded five of the 11-best single-game rebound totals in program history (24, 22, 20, 18, 18). 
 
O'Keefe was the only player in the SLC to average a double-double. She tabbed two 20/20 games, first reaching the incredible achievement as she scored a career-high 23 points with 20 rebounds in a win over McNeese before doing it again in the regular season finale against New Orleans, finishing with a career-high 24 rebounds and 20 points. 
 
O'Keefe strung together 12 consecutive games with double-digit rebounds and had 15+ rebounds in seven of those contests. She ended the season with double-digit rebounds in 23 of 32 games. O'Keefe earned All-Conference Second Team, All-Defensive Team, and UTRGV Female Student-Athlete of the Year honors following her unbelievable junior campaign. 
 
"The fourth game, at South Florida, I looked down at halftime and Charlotte had 10 rebounds. That's a big opponent, a top 50 program every year. At that moment I thought, this might be a special season," Lord reflected. "What's cool is, she's not real flashy offensively, she's just solid. I think the most memorable moment of hers, for me, was when she broke the school record for career rebounds. She had 22 against Nicholls and her parents were here from Kansas to see it. That was the coolest part, that her parents were there to share it with her." 
 
Joining O'Keefe on the All-Conference Second Team was Hackerott, who wrapped up two great years leading UTRGV. Hackerott paced the Vaqueros playing 32.7 minutes per game, was the top scorer and No. 2 rebounder with 6.5 RPG. She scored 20+ points in three games and led the team with a 35.8% mark from three. 
 
Hackerott's impact went far beyond the box score, though she was consistently one of the best players on the court. Her excellence in academics and, most notably, as a leader resulted in a legacy that will be felt for many years. 
 
"If you look up the definition of a student-athlete, it's Kade Hackerott. Her leadership was not just on the floor, it was in the classroom and the way she carried herself off the court," Lord praised. "She was fun to watch. She's always been a coach's kid who is really smart and knows how to play the game, but offensively she took a really big jump this year. She became a great three-point shooter. You look at the big games we played and you see her impact. She did a wonderful job with the freshmen, because we knew they were talented, but she really believed in them and she made them believe in themselves."
 
The turnaround season saw the Vaqueros stack up milestones. With an 11-9 record in SLC play, UTRGV earned the most conference wins in a season in program history. The Vaqueros had their winningest season since 2018-19, their best road record (6-9) and longest conference winning streak (5) sinc3 2018-19. They earned their first win over Lamar since 1997 behind Lorenz's game-winning three-pointer in Beaumont, snapping Lamar's 17-game home winning streak. UTRGV held opponents below their scoring average in 19 of 32 games. 
 
Even with all the accomplishments on the court, both team and individual, Lord said his favorite moments from the season were the bus rides because of the special camaraderie he saw in his team. 
 
"We have freshmen acting like goofballs back there and the personalities really came out from our team. It's really rewarding for old people like me to see them laughing and having a good time together. We became a real family, and everybody says their team is a family, but we really were," he said. 
 
The family dynamic helped the Vaqueros get back on track and set the standard for their new chapter in the SLC. There were highs and lows, and most importantly, a lot of growth throughout the 2024-25 season, and UTRGV feels confident about the future after the rewarding season. 

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