| Junior Audrey Hiser had a career-high 34 digs on Friday night. |
SAN ANTONIO ? Seventh-seed UTSA went toe to toe with No. 2 Stephen F. Austin on Friday night, but the Ladyjacks proved to be too much in the end and they ended the Roadrunners' 2007 season with a 29-31, 30-19, 30-22, 30-18 victory in Friday's final quarterfinal of the Southland Conference Tournament at the Convocation Center.
SFA (25-7) looked to be on its way to an easy game one victory, but UTSA (13-21) rallied from a 25-18 deficit by scoring 13 of the final 17 points of the frame for a thrilling 31-29 win. Freshman outside hitter Kendra Rowland led the way with eight kills and the Roadrunners scored six points in a row on junior defensive specialist Dani Nickle's serve to get the rally started.
However, the Ladyjacks responded with an 11-point triumph to tie the match going to intermission and it was all Stephen F. Austin following the break. The four-time defending SLC Regular Season Champions cruised to eight and 12-point victories to close out the match and advance to Saturday's semifinals.
Rowland, who was a second-team All-SLC selection on Thursday, finished out her first collegiate campaign with her 18th double-double of the year. The Antioch, Calif., native racked up a match-high 22 kills and also collected 15 digs. Junior middle hitter Victoria Prior, one of 12 members of the league's first team, added 13 winners and six total blocks (1 solo/5 assist) for the Roadrunners.
Junior libero Audrey Hiser set her career high with a match-best 34 digs, while freshman Jordan White had career-highs of 39 assists and 18 digs in her first start as UTSA's primary setter.
Outside hitter Lauren Railey led the Ladyjacks with 13 kills, while setter JJ Jones added seven winners, 30 assists and 14 digs. Defensively, libero Jami Hill racked up 23 digs and middle blockers Ashley Bailey and Traci Rohde blocked six balls apiece.
Other results from Friday's quarterfinals saw top seed Lamar sweep No. 8 Sam Houston State (30-27, 30-20, 30-16), No. 5 Texas State get past No. 6 McNeese State in three games (30-26, 30-14, 30-25) and sixth-seed Northwestern State upset No. 3 Texas-Arlington in four sets (26-30, 30-27, 30-26, 30-23).
Stephen F. Austin will play Northwestern State (11-15) at 2 p.m. in Saturday's first semifinal and Lamar (25-8) and Texas State (19-11) will square off at 5 p.m. Sunday's championship match is slated for 2 p.m.