RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros volleyball team continues Southland Conference (SLC) play on Saturday with a contest against the Lamar Cardinals. It will be Dads & Daughters Day, presented by Driscoll with first serve scheduled for 12 p.m.

The Vaqueros (11-7, 7-0 SLC) are coming off a 3-1 win over the Stephen F. Austin Ladyjacks on Thursday led by Juliana Bryant's 10-block, 13-kill double-double. It was the first win for UTRGV over the Ladyjacks since 2016. Aaliyah Snead had 13 kills and hit .476 in the match. Outside hitter Martina Franco posted 11 kills and 11 digs for her fifth straight double-double. Setter Lana Rnjak had 40 assists and added two aces. Celianiz Cabranes led the defense with 18 digs, and Carmina Tijerina chipped in a career-high 14.
The win was the 200th at UTRGV for head coach Todd Lowery as the Vaqueros remained the only unbeaten team in the SLC.

The Cardinals (6-14, 3-4) are much better than their record shows, according to Lowery. On Thursday, they had their own milestone win, defeating Texas A&M-Corpus Christi for the first time since 2009. The Cardinals hit a season-high .316 and recorded 16 block assists and five solo blocks. Outside hitter Maya Malinowska paced Lamar with 18 kills, nine digs and three service aces. She currently sits second in the SLC in kills per set at 3.51. Middle blocker Nisaan Martinez added 16 kills and three block assists, while right side Grace Hill collected nine kills.

Lamar leads the all-time series over UTRGV 28-10 though the Vaqueros have won eight of the last nine meetings. UTRGV is on a five-match winning streak in the series with all five wins coming by sweep. Last season, the Vaqueros beat the Cardinals in front of 2,535 fans, which is still the third-largest crowd in program history. On the home floor, UTRGV has not lost in the series since November 5, 1994.

UTRGV has won 21 straight SLC regular season matches going into Saturday's contest, the longest streak in program history. The last loss for the Vaqueros came on September 27, 2025 at Stephen F. Austin (3-2). Since joining the conference in 2024, UTRGV holds a 34-5 record in SLC matches.

Fans can purchase tickets for the match at UTRGVTickets.com. All tickets for UTRGV Athletics home events will use NFC scanning, therefore screenshots will not grant entry. Fans can save and access tickets for entry via Apple or Google Wallet or by logging into your account at UTRGVTickets.com.

Fans are encouraged to visit RallyTheValley.com for everything they need to know about attending home volleyball games. If you're unable to attend, the match will be streamed on ESPN+ domestically and Southland International for international fans.
 
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