LUBBOCK, Texas – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros volleyball team dropped the opening match of the Red Raider Classic to host Texas Tech on Thursday, 3-1 (25-17, 21-25, 25-21, 28-26), at United Supermarkets Arena.
UTRGV will be back in action at 5 p.m. against Portland State for its second match of the tournament.
The Vaqueros (2-4) had their chances but were met with a strong-willed Red Raiders (4-2) side. Right side
Ema Petkovic once again led the Vaqueros with a new career-high 18 kills in the match. Following closely behind her was outside hitter
Martina Franco who totaled 11 kills and 14 digs for her first double-double of the season. Setter
Lana Rnjak recorded 27 assists, while
Carmina Tijerina and
Dunja Stankovic both had career-bests in digs with Tijerina finishing with 11 and Stankovic collecting 10. At the net, both
Julianna Bryant and
Aaliyah Snead posted season-bests in the blocks category with Bryant finishing with seven and Snead ending with six.
For Texas Tech,
Sara Bowcutt led the way with 22 kills, hitting .292 in the match, while
Elia Dinsmore totaled 13.
Katelyn Cochran racked up 43 assists. Defensively,
Emily Contreras had 17 digs followed by
Madelein Smotherman with 12.
UTRGV was on the board first in Lubbock as Petkovic slammed down the opening point of the tournament. After the Vaqueros put themselves up 3-1, Texas Tech rallied to win seven of the next eight points and take an 8-4 lead. The Red Raiders would keep the lead at arms-length, going into the media timeout with a 15-9 lead.
Out of the timeout, the Vaqueros were narrowing the margin as Franco earned the kill to cut the Texas Tech lead to 20-15. The Red Raiders would take back control with a kill by Bowcutt and take set one, 25-17.
Neither team led by more than one before Texas Tech took a 10-8 lead. The Vaqueros once again turned to the hot hand of Petkovic who recorded four kills in a 7-4 run for UTRGV that put it in front, 15-12.
The match then turned into a block party for UTRGV as Bryant, Rnjak, and Snead all got involved to put the Vaqueros up 21-17. Two more kills by Petkovic earned set point, then Bryant and Franco combined for a block to take the set, 25-21.
Set 3 started in the same fashion as the second set. Three consecutive errors by UTRGV forced an early timeout as the Red Raiders created the first separation at 11-7. Texas Tech would lead 15-11 at the media break as Bowcutt continued to hammer down points.
The Red Raiders would stretch the lead to seven before another kill by Petkovic stopped the bleeding at 22-16. Three straight points by the Vaqueros brought the score back to 22-19, but Texas Tech took a 2-1 match lead with a 25-21 set win.
UTRGV started off hot in the third set, taking five of the first seven points as Snead contributed with a pair of kills. The Vaqueros would extend that lead to 10-5 before three straight points for the Red Raiders forced a timeout from head coach
Todd Lowery. The timeout worked as
Jasmyn Walker came out of the break with a kill followed by an ace from Bryant to spark a 7-3 run, pushing UTRGV's lead to a set-best six points at 17-11.
Trailing 19-15 on their home court, the Red Raiders took control late in the fourth to put the set away. They used a 9-3 run to regain their first lead since 1-0 at 23-22, then quickly found their way to match point off a kill by Bowcutt. The Vaqueros would not go quietly, fighting off three match points with a kill and an assisted block by Bryant and a kill from Petkovic. UTRGV earned set point following a Texas Tech error, but the Red Raiders secured the final three points to take the tight set, 28-26, and win the match.
