? Texas Southern box score
? Texas-Pan American box score
PRAIRIE VIEW ? UTSA's volleyball squad split a pair of matches on Saturday at the Lady Panther Invitational. The Roadrunners opened the day by sweeping Texas Southern (30-13, 30-12, 30-25) before dropping the tournament championship to Texas-Pan American in five games (29-31, 30-25, 25-30, 30-25, 11-15).
UTSA won its third consecutive match to improve to 7-8 when it rolled past Texas Southern (1-12) in a little more than an hour. The Roadrunners hit .293 as a team and were led by junior middle hitter Victoria Prior's match-best 11 kills. UTSA scored 21 of the final 28 points of the first game and 20 of the last 26 in the second stanza to take control. The Lady Tigers were game in the final frame, but the Roadrunners took a 13-12 lead midway through and made it stand for the match victory.
Freshman outside hitter Kendra Rowland joined Prior in double figures with 10 winners, while junior libero Audrey Hiser added 15 digs along the back row.
That victory set the stage for the tournament championship, as Texas-Pan American (6-10) won earlier in the day to improve to 3-0 in the round robin format. In a hotly-contested match, the Lady Broncs ended their 34-match losing streak to UTSA (7-9) when they held off the Roadrunners in five games. Pan American's last victory against UTSA came nearly 24 years ago on Oct. 15, 1983.
The two squads went extra time in the first game, but UTPA prevailed when it scored the final two points for a hard-fought 31-29 victory. The next frame saw UTSA lead from start to finish for a 30-25 triumph, but the Lady Broncs turned the tables one game later to take a 2-1 lead. UTSA collected another 30-25 win in the fourth stanza to send the match to a fifth and deciding game.
The Roadrunners jumped out to an early 4-1 advantage, but Pan American responded with a 6-0 run to take the lead for good. UTSA rallied to tie the game at 10, but the Lady Broncs closed out the match by scoring five of the last six points to clinch the victory and end the nation's second-longest active losing streak to a non-conference opponent.
Prior, who was named to her third consecutive all-tournament team, continued her outstanding play with a match-high 25 kills, which was one shy of her career best. Three other Roadrunners ? freshman middle hitter Valorie Rogers (career-high 16), Rowland (14) and junior outside hitter Gena Rhodes (13) ? also were in double figures. Junior setter Rebecca Hrapmann handed out 53 assists, while Hiser and Rowland collected 17 and 12 digs, respectively.
UTSA returns to action on Thursday, Sept. 20, when it takes on I-35 rival Texas State in the Southland Conference opener for both schools.
