EDINBURG – The UT Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros took a 3-0 win over the East Texas A&M University volleyball team on Saturday afternoon at the UTRGV Fieldhouse via set scores of 25-11, 25-17, and 25-17.
 
The Vaqueros did not trail at any point in the match and are now 8-7 overall, while being 3-1 in Southland Conference play. The Lions went 1-1 on the trip down to South Texas, being 3-12 overall and 1-3 against SLC teams.
 
On their home court, the Vaqueros won six of the first seven points of the match. Outside of the first stretch of the set, the smallest lead for UTRGV in the set was three as it took the set on an attacking error, winning five of the final seven points of the set.
 
Just like the first set, UTRGV had the early 5-1 advantage in the second set. The Lions rallied by winning five of six to come to within 9-8, but three of the next four went to the Vaqueros, who went on a 9-3 run to close out the set on a kill by Isabella Costantini.
 
The third set started with both teams exchanging the first six points. UTRGV went ahead 6-3 on a 3-0 run and then did not trail again in the match. The Lions came within a point three times, but the Vaqueros clinched the match by going on an 8-3 run. Valentina Sarti Cipriani delivered the match-winning kill.
 
Gracie Campbell (Klein Oak) had 11 of the team's 25 kills in the match for East Texas A&M, while Haley Mullaney (Victory Christian Academy) totaled 19 assists, and Jade Washington (Waco – Midway) had 15 digs.
 
For the Vaqueros, Nadine Zech had a double-double with 11 kills and 10 digs.
 
UP NEXT
The Lions head east next week to face New Orleans on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. and at Southeastern next Saturday at noon.