Texas Border Business
RIO GRANDE VALLEY, Texas – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros volleyball team knocked off the previously undefeated in Western Athletic Conference (WAC) play Sam Houston Bearkats 3-2 (25-16, 21-25, 25-21, 27-29, 15-12) to pull into a tie for first place in the WAC Southwest Division on Saturday at the UTRGV Fieldhouse in front of an exuberant crowd of 823.
The Vaqueros (12-6, 4-1 WAC) are now on a four-match winning streak and tied for first with the Bearkats (11-6, 4-1 WAC).
The win was also head coach Todd Lowery’s 100th at UTRGV. Now in his seventh season, Lowery is now 100-92 (.521) at UTRGV and 516-128 (.801) for his career.
Junior Sarah Cruz led the Vaqueros with 20 kills, eight digs and four blocks. Sophomore Maria Eduarda Rodrigues recorded a career-high tying 10 kills and a career-high seven blocks. Sophomore Ioanna Charitonidi posted her second double-double of the season with 10 kills and 12 digs. Sophomore Luisa Silva Dos Santos finished with six kills and seven blocks. Senior Veronika Jandova recorded six kills and six blocks. Freshman Luanna Emiliano posted her 14th double-double with 43 assists and 18 digs.
Breanne Chausse led the Bearkats with 19 kills and eight digs and four blocks. Ashley Lewis recorded 15 kills and 19 digs. Catherine Krieger finished with 13 kills
The Bearkats scored the first three points of the match. The Vaqueros responded with a 10-4 run, bookended by Cruz kills, to take a 10-7 lead. The Bearkats got as close as 11-12 and were within 14-16 when a Charitonidi kill sparked a 5-0 run to put the Vaqueros up 21-14. Three serves later, with the score 22-16, the Vaqueros went on a 3-0 run, capped by back-to-back blocks by Santos and Rodrigues, to end the set.
The Bearkats got off to a strong start in set two, going up 10-6. The Vaqueros scored the next three points to pull within one. Then, with the score 11-14, the Vaqueros went on a 4-0 run, capped by a block by Emiliano and Jandova, to go up 15-14. The Bearkats, however, scored the next three points to take the lead for good.
The Bearkats led 4-3 early in the third set before a Cruz kill started a 9-3 run to put the Vaqueros up 12-7. The Bearkats won the next three serves before the Vaqueros responded with a 6-1 run to go up 18-11. The Bearkats scored the next three points. Then, with the score 21-16, the Vaqueros scored four of the next six points to reach set point. Three serves later, a Cruz kill ended the set.
The fourth set was tight most of the way. The score tied at 7 when a Cruz kill sparked a 4-0 run to give the Vaqueros an 11-7 lead. The Bearkats responded with a 10-4 run to take a 17-15 lead. The Vaqueros came back to tie the set at 17 on an ace by freshman Edinburg North alum Evana Ramos. The teams traded points until kills by Jandova and Cruz put the Vaqueros up 23-22. The Vaqueros reached match points four times, at 24-23 on a Cruz kill, 25-24 on an Emiliano kill, 26-25 on an error and 27-26 on a Charitonidi kill before the Bearkats won three-straight serves to take the set.
The Vaqueros jumped out to a 4-2 lead in the fifth set on a Charitonidi kill. Later, with the score tied at 7, Cruz came up with three-straight kills as part of a 6-1 run to put the Vaqueros up 13-8. The Bearkats responded by winning the next four serves, but Cruz and Rodriguez answered with kills to end the match.
UTRGV plays its next two matches at Lamar, with contests against Seattle U Friday at 1 p.m. and Chicago State Saturday at 1 p.m.
