RIO GRANDE VALLEY – For the third year in a row, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros volleyball team earned a sweep on School Day, presented by Whataburger, as it defeated the Lamar Cardinals 3-0 (25-20, 25-19, 25-17) in the Southland Conference (SLC) opener on Wednesday in front of 2,535 fans, which is the third-largest crowd in program history, second crowd of 2,000+ this season and sixth such crowd in program history.
The reigning SLC Setter of the Week, junior
Isabella Costantini, powered UTRGV (6-6, 1-0 SLC) with her third double-double of the season. Costantini had 30 assists, 13 digs and two kills. Freshman outside hitter
Dimitra Nanou and senior right side
Valentina Sarti Cipriani led the offense with 11 kills each and Cipriani had three blocks. Junior outside
Nadine Zech tabbed nine kills and the middle blocker duo of juniors
Aaliyah Snead and Harlingen High alum
Julianna Bryant had six and seven kills, respectively. Junior libero
Celianiz Cabranes tabbed 16 digs and six assists.
UTRGV used the incredible energy radiating through the Fieldhouse to open a 6-0 lead with a fast start. Cipriani and Zech were sharp from the pins to keep the Vaqueros on a roll, making good decisions when tooling the block or hammering one home. UTRGV took its largest lead at 17-9 behind a block and a stellar one-handed assist by Costantini, who showed great control to tip a tight pass off the ne right to Snead, who slammed home the kill.
The Cardinals went on a 5-0 run late in the match to get within two before Nanou tooled the block on the outside for a needed point. The freshman was big down the stretch, adding another kill and an ace on set point to secure the 1-0 lead as UTRGV took the opening set, 25-19.
Lamar scored five unanswered early in the second set to flip momentum a bit as its block heated up. But the Vaqueros kept pushing and knotted the frame at 12-12 as Zech tabbed a solo block and Nanou dropped a heavy kill. Cipriani was big for the Vaqueros when the set got tight. She recorded three kills as part of a 9-2 scoring run and had a good presence on the net to bring Lamar's efficiency down. Bryant
tabbed a nice kill up the middle to get to set point, and Lamar's seventh service error of the match secured the frame, 25-19, for the 2-0 lead.
The Cardinals had their first early lead in the third set, scoring three in a row. But the Vaqueros answered with a 5-0 run as Snead had a kill and a block and Nanou dropped an ace. UTRGV found a dominant rhythm as the third set played out. Zech and Bryant were swinging well, and Costantini got in on the scoring with a couple of smart second-touch setter kills. Nanou used her heavy swing to double up the Cardinals and Bryant notched the sweep-securing kill to take the set, 25-17.
UTRGV will be back in action Saturday at 12 p.m. in a SLC match at Stephen F. Austin.
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