RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros volleyball team returns home Saturday to close out the South Texas Showdown, presented by Rally Credit Union, against the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders. First serve is set for 12 p.m. at the UTRGV Fieldhouse.

The Vaqueros (13-9, 9-2 Southland Conference) dropped the opener of the series Thursday, falling to the Islanders in straight sets (25-14, 25-23, 25-22) in Corpus Christi. Outside hitter Martina Franco paced the Vaqueros with nine kills, while middle blocker Julianna Bryant added eight kills and five blocks. Setter Lana Rnjak had 27 assists, and libero Celianiz Cabranes led the defense with 27 digs.

The Islanders (8-14, 6-5 SLC) were led by Tatum Mason, who had 12 kills and hit .800. Kenna Buchanan added eight kills and seven digs, Virginia Van Der Werff had 30 assists, and Lauren Sandvold led the defense with 12 digs.

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi leads the all-time series 32-26 as the teams regularly play two matches a year at each other's venues as part of the South Texas Showdown. Thursday's loss marked the first time since 2003 that the teams have swept each other in consecutive matches. UTRGV swept the Islanders in last season's finale. No three consecutive matches in series history have ended in sweeps. The Vaqueros have played better at home in the series, holding a 14-10 record at the UTRGV Fieldhouse.

Getting ahead early is key for UTRGV. This season, the Vaqueros are 13-2 after winning set one and 6-0 if leading after two sets. The only two losses they have had after winning set one came in five-set matches against UTEP and Bradley. On the other side, UTRGV is 0-6 after losing set one and has only won one match that they were trailing at any point.

Fans can purchase tickets for the game 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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