MORGANTOWN, W.Va. –The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros volleyball team battled in the third set but lost Saturday to the UMBC Retrievers, 3-0 (25-14, 25-13, 25-21), at the Country Roads Challenge at Hope Coliseum hosted by West Virginia. 
 
Junior outside hitter Martina Franco led the Vaqueros with 12 kills and eight digs. Redshirt junior middle blocker and Harlingen High alum Julianna Bryant added eight kills with two blocks. Freshman Lana Rnjak finished with 16 assists. 
 
The big three from Friday's match carried their momentum to a good start to Set 1. Sophomore right side Ema Petkovic ripped through double blocks on the right side and Franco showed her back row rocket early to keep the difference at just two or three points. The Retrievers swung momentum at the service line. They used two aces and tough location to go on a 7-3 run. They stretched their gap to seven points before the Vaqueros got back on the board, but a service error prevented UTRGV from capitalizing on the stop. UMBC closed the set on a 6-0 run and took it, 25-14. 
 
UMBC controlled Set 2 behind a massive block and great serving. The Retrievers recorded six blocks in the frame, limiting the Vaqueros to seven kills while forcing nine attack errors. UTRGV head coach Todd Lowery made some lineup changes, getting senior transfer setter Agata Makowska and freshman middle blocker Jasmyn Walker their first action of the season. Makowska dished out five assists and Walker contributed to a pair of blocks. The Vaqueros fell behind by 12 but showed good fight late in the frame before serve-receive struggles helped UMBC take a 2-0 match lead with a 25-13 set win. 
 
The third set was the most competitive of the match. Despite being down by two sets, the Vaqueros had great energy on the court early. Senior libero Celianiz Cabranes served an ace and UTRGV's middles started getting involved with Rnjak back running the offense. UTRGV pulled things even with a 3-0 run aided by a kill and ace from Franco, but the Retrievers held a 15-12 lead at the media timeout. 
 
The service line swung things in UMBC's favor later in the match and UTRGV was forced to call a timeout after UMBC's seventh ace of the match put the Retrievers up 19-13. Bryant and Franco continued to carry the load and a small 3-0 run by the Vaqueros trimmed the deficit to three points, forcing a UMBC timeout. Franco's tough serve forced an error and got UTRGV within 23-21 before the 12^th block of the match secured the sweep for the Retrievers. 
 
UTRGV (0-2) will be back in action next weekend at the Islanders Classic in Corpus Christi, Texas, where they'll face Texas State and UTEP. 

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