EDINBURG — For the second time in a month, UTRGV played in a set where the final score was 33-31, the highest scoring volleyball match in program history.
Last time it happened, the Vaqueros lost that set and won the match.
This time, they won the set to go up two sets to none, and then needed Sarah Cruz to explode down the stretch in the fifth set as UTRGV claimed a 25-20, 33-31, 15-25, 9-25, 15-11 victory over visiting Utah Tech on Thursday in a WAC matchup at the UTRGV Fieldhouse.
The win gives UTRGV a 14-4 overall mark but, more importantly, a 3-0 record in WAC play. Utah Tech fell to 6-6 overall and 0-3 in the conference. UTRGV plays WAC opponent Southern Utah at 1 p.m. Saturday at home.
After struggling throughout the match, even a bit in the first two sets, UTRGV rallied in the fifth. The 6-foot-2 graduate student tallied four of her match-high 23 kills during the final six points to avoid what looked to be an improbable loss with the huge two-set lead.
“I tried to step up a little bit more for my team because I thought they needed me at that moment. You can’t be afraid to score,” said Cruz, who throughout the match also found openings with her effective roll shot, often times going undefended and falling to the open spot. “I talk a lot with my coaches and teammates, and they always tell me what spot is open and where I can score so that helped me, and then I’m sure when I do it it’s going to score.”
UTRGV head coach Todd Lowery said that part of the near collapse was a combination of players trying to do too much and possibly getting a bit too comfortable after the first two sets.
“They caused us some problems, but hats off to our girls to regroup and then go and be really good in the fifth set,” Lowery said. “We weren’t very crisp. That’s for sure and it started at Set 1. I think they tipped or rolled the first nine balls and we let them fall. That’s something we’ve been really good about not letting happen. We had to make some adjustments.
“I know we had some communication issues and started feeling the pressure a little bit and had kids trying to do too much. That hasn’t been the strength of this team. We haven’t relied on somebody having to go do too much – and once we settled back in then we were OK.”
Junior Luisa Silva Dos Santos contributed 12 kills and sophomore Perris Key continued her resurgence following an early season injury. Following a career-tying 10 kills against Tarleton St. on Saturday, Key, from Katy, Texas, collected nine kills Thursday. The outside hitter, who even started at middle blocker at least one time last season, is 5-foot-8 with a vertical that lets her rise above most blockers.
Libero Regina Tijerina tallied 21 digs and setter Luana Emiliano added 50 assists and 17 digs for UTRGV.