EDINBURG — So much for preseason polls.
When Stephen F. Austin and UTRGV step on the court today, it will be a matchup of teams predicted to finish fifth and seventh, respectively, by prognosticating coaches, sitting near the middle of the pack.
Instead, the Lumberjacks are third in the Western Athletic Conference with a 7-2 record, while the Vaqueros sit atop the conference with a perfect 8-0 mark.
The squads are two of only 10 teams out of 345 NCAA Division I schools to have tallied 19 wins so far this season. SFA is 19-3, while UTRGV is 19-4.
With the second half of conference play barely starting, today’s game — a 6:30 p.m. start at the UTRGV Fieldhouse — has major implications within the standings. Sandwiched between the two teams is Utah Valley, with a 7-1 record.
“This is going to be a big game,” said Sarah Cruz, the team’s leading hitter and the most recent recipient of the WAC Offensive Player of the Week, the third time this season she’s been awarded the honor. “They are one of the best teams in the WAC and I hope a lot of people come out to support us. We’ve got to show up, do what we’ve done the past games and do our best.”
The Vaqueros have won 24 of 31 sets since WAC play began, sweeping three of those matches. They also went 2-0 on their recent road trip, beating Grand Canyon 3-1 and California Baptist 3-0.
“Those were big wins on the road,” UTRGV head coach Todd Lowery said. “GCU and Cal played well, and to drop just one set was great for our team. Their resilience at the end of sets, especially when they are down and are able to come back was the key.
“Sarah had to do it against a committed block in both matches and still got points while also playing good defense.”
Cruz leads the team in kills, averaging 4.29 kills per set during conference play while middle blocker Luisa Silva Do Santos has the team’s highest hitting percentage at .303.
“Since we started at the beginning, we felt this would be a pivotal match and it’s a big one for us to go out and get,” Lowery said. “The way the standings have worked out has elevated this match a little bit but we just have to go out there and take them one at a time. Obviously this was a match we were looking forward to.
“They are low error, much like Grand Canyon. We have to play clean, go out there and get points, score at a high efficiency, defend well and put pressure on them.”
This will be the 19th matchup between the two teams in a series dating back to 1982. SFA has a 17-1 record against the Vaqueros. The last time the two teams played, UTRGV claimed a 3-0 sweep in 2016. SFA joined the WAC last season.