Volleyball Breaks Overall Attendance Records

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros volleyball team broke the program’s overall and average attendance records Saturday in a Southland Conference (SLC) sweep of the Houston Christian (HCU) Huskies at the UTRGV Fieldhouse in the regular season finale.

Saturday’s crowd grew the season’s overall attendance to 13,386 to secure the new record. UTRGV also broke the average attendance record as it drew 1,339 fans per match through 10 dates.

Senior outside hitter Claudia Lupescu led UTRGV’s (16-10, 12-4 SLC) offense with 14 kills on .424 hitting with 10 digs for her second consecutive double-double. Senior outside hitter Ilana De Assis recorded 10 kills on .304 hitting and sophomore outside hitter Nadine Zech added eight kills with seven digs. Junior Sharyland Pioneer alum Natalie Reyes served a career-high tying four aces as the Vaqueros racked up 10 aces in the match. Sophomore setter Isabella Costantini earned a double-double with 26 assists and 11 digs. Sophomore libero Celianiz Cabranes added 12 digs.

HCU’s (11-16, 8-8 SLC) Audrey Pearce had 11 kills on .318 hitting and Ana Garza added eight kills. Tatiana Evans had a match-high 14 digs.

The Vaqueros used tough serving to force the Huskies out of rhythm and take control quickly in Set 1. Assis launched a kill down the line then served the first of three UTRGV aces to get the squad on a roll. The Vaqueros forced two quick timeouts by the Huskies as they grew the lead to 18-10 with a good mix of attacks from the outside, right side and back row. UTRGV doubled up HCU at 22-11 following a block from Lupescu and senior right side Perris Key to set up the big finish, and Key slammed a kill from the right side to take the 1-0 lead with a 25-15 set win.

The second set was defined by runs and played much tighter than the first. UTRGV used a 5-0 run to erase an early deficit with frequent Zech kills and a block by Assis and Key. The teams swapped 3-0 runs, but the Vaqueros maintained a lead as the Huskies committed a handful of attack errors. HCU cleaned things up and used a 5-0 run to jump back on top at 17-15, forcing the Vaqueros to call a timeout.

UTRGV responded well after the regroup, stringing together a 3-0 run and regaining the lead on an ace from Cabranes. Reyes added back-to-back aces to make it 22-20 in favor of the Vaqueros after the teams swapped points. Lupescu ripped a kill to secure the 2-0 advantage and the 25-21 set win.

The Vaqueros came out sharp in the third, quickly jumping out to a 12-3 lead as they played clean offensively and used gritty defense to hold onto momentum. They went on a 6-0 run to start the match and had good variety in the attack to get on a roll. UTRGV’s serving excellence was on full display as Reyes tabbed back-to-back aces and Key dropped another to open the advantage to 17-6.

Late in the third, sophomore Brownsville Veterans Memorial alum Elise Fourt assisted Lupescu and Zech with blocks to aid a 3-0 run, giving UTRGV a 22-9 lead and tons of momentum. Sophomore Jasmine Allen made her home debut in the third set, achieving her goal of playing on the same court as her father, men’s basketball alum JeRon Allen (1996-98). Key secured the win with a kill from the middle in her final home match at 25-12.

Up next for UTRGV will be the SLC Volleyball Championship in Hammond, Louisiana from Nov. 22-24.