| Oct. 11, 2005
Contact: Kyle Stephens (210) 458-4907 Prior, Daniel lead UTSA to sweep of Texas State Box Score
SAN ANTONIO – Redshirt freshman Victoria Prior made her first career start a memorable one, recording a career-high 11 kills, and junior Meagan Daniel (right) turned in her 12th double-digit kills match of the season to lead the UTSA volleyball team to an exciting 30-19, 30-28, 32-30 sweep of Texas State Tuesday night in front of 725 fans, the fifth-largest volleyball crowd in the history of the Convocation Center.
With their fifth straight win, the Roadrunners improve to 9-6 overall and 6-2 in the Southland Conference, picking up the program’s 400th win in the process. The Bobcats fall to 8-8 and 6-2.
Prior, starting for the injured Jennifer Emelogu at middle hitter, turned in a career-high 11 kills, the last clinching a winning comeback in game three, on 22 swings in hitting .409 for the match. Daniel posted a match-high 18 kills on .289 hitting, while pitching in with nine digs in nearly recording her eighth double-double of the year. Juniors Brittany Hildebrand and Connie Picard added nine and eight kills, respectively, while Picard turned in five (three solo) blocks on the evening.
Junior DeeDee Strickland had a match-high 39 assists and senior Toni Rocheleau led three Roadrunners in double-figure digs with 13.
Elizabeth Nwoke led Texas State’s offense with eight kills and contributed a team-high 10 digs. Brandy St. Francis and Ashley Stark recorded four block assists each to help the Bobcats post eight team blocks in the losing effort.
UTSA took a decisive 30-19 decision in game one, out hitting the Bobcats, .361-.188, behind eight kills from Daniel. The Roadrunners negated a 10-9 Texas State lead with a 6-2 run for a 15-11 advantage. The Bobcats got as close as two at 18-16 on a Roadrunner service error, but UTSA used a 12-3 run to run away from its rival, getting five combined kills from Daniel and Picard down the stretch.
Again, Texas State took the first large lead in game two at 11-6, only to have UTSA rally to tie it at 15-all on an ace by Rocheleau. UTSA saw a 24-20 lead dwindle following a Texas State timeout, as the Bobcats raced back to tie it at 24-24 on a kill by Nwoke. The Roadrunners countered, building a 27-25 lead on a kill by Hildebrand, but the Bobcats would not quit, knotting the score at 27-all on a kill by Erin Hickman and a UTSA attack error. A Prior kill, an ace from freshman Audrey Hiser gave UTSA the first game point at 29-27. Following a service error by the Roadrunners, Texas State committed a substitution infraction that gave UTSA the game, 30-28.
Game three was the thriller as UTSA rallied from a 15-11 deficit to get within one at 22-21. Texas State held the Roadrunners at bay, gaining a 27-23 lead on a UTSA attack error. A kill by Daniel and two consecutive errors on the Bobcats brought the Roadrunners to within one at 27-26. Texas State would take advantage of a UTSA error and a kill by Nwoke for their first game point of the night at 29-27, but a service error by the Bobcats and a kill by Prior knotted the game at 29-all. A kill by Stark gave the Bobcats their second game point, but a kill by UTSA senior Julia Hunter and attack error on Texas State put the advantage in the home team’s favor, 31-30. Prior came through, spiking a loose ball from Texas State’s side down for the kill and the clincher, 32-30.
UTSA’s win was the first over the Bobcats since Nov. 5, 2002, and gives the Roadrunners a 400-366 all-time record. The Roadrunners are 6-0 at the Convocation Center this season and have won seven straight games at home dating back to the 2004 campaign.
With 11 digs, junior Erin McMillan passed Natasha Biggers for fifth place on the school’s career chart as she now has 1,297.
UTSA returns to the court this Friday, Oct. 14, when they travel to Thibodaux, La., to take on Nicholls State.
UTSA def. TEXAS STATE
30-19, 30-28, 32-30
UTSA: kills, Meagan Daniel 18; assists, DeeDee Strickland 39; digs, Toni Rocheleau 13; blocks, Connie Picard 5
TXST: kills, Elizabeth Nwoke 8; assists, Erin Hickman 24; digs, Nwoke 10; blocks, Brandy St. Francis, Ashley Stark 4
Records: UTSA 9-6, 6-2 SLC; TXST 8-8, 6-2 SLC
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