Leonardo Gujardo/Vaquero Radio
On Oct. 8, the Vaqueros played a rough game against the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders, losing 3-2 sets in the UTRGV Fieldhouse.
As of Tuesday, UTRGV has a 6-8 overall record and 2-2 in conference play.
The first set kicked off with the Islanders quickly setting their game plan in motion. The score reflected the tension on the court, with both teams scoring point after point, establishing the tone that would be seen throughout the match.
The thick air was finally broken after UTRGV senior outside hitter Ilanna De Assis delivered the final kill for the set, setting the score to a 25-23 victory and putting the Vaqueros up 1-0.
The second set began without a hitch, and the Vaqueros worked as a team to keep their lead. However, the Islanders quickly found their footing and took a substantial lead with senior middle blocker Leah Stolfus landing the final kill to secure a 25-22 win, evening the match score 1-1.
UTRGV Women’s Volleyball head coach Todd Lowery said the team needed to pay more attention offensively.
“They do things offensively where they’re gonna get their points,” Lowery said. “I think we gotta pay just a little bit more attention to their middle attack. … It’s just us forgetting our blocking assignments.”
The third set opened with the Vaqueros determined to take back their lead.
The score was 24-23, with the third set win being up in the air between both teams. The Islanders defended well, but Assis was able to put UTRGV back up 2-1.
During the fourth set, the Islanders quickly showed the Vaqueros’ lead did not intimidate them, displacing ample pressure with many aggressive attacks.
Ultimately, the Islanders were able to come out on top, securing the win for the fourth set by a landslide, outshooting the Vaqueros by six points.
A total score of 25-19 ended the set with an even score of 2-2.
UTRGV fought a hard battle, but Stolfus was able to score the match point, giving the Islanders the win with a final score of 3-2.
Lowery described his thoughts on the game.
“Obviously, Corpus is a tough team for us to play against,” he said. “We had a really good game plan and when we executed the game plan, like, we were able to handle them. We’re not gonna beat Corpus by 10 points.”
The Vaqueros will take on Northwestern State University Demons at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in Natchitoches, Louisiana.
Results will be available at goutrgv.com.
This is Leonardo Guajardo for Vaquero Radio.
