Junior Kendra Rowland had a double-double of 14 digs and 11 kills on Friday night.SAN ANTONIO
— Mary Caitlin Bottles led Stephen F. Austin with 16 kills and eight block assists and the second-seeded Ladyjacks ended UTSA's 2009 campaign with a 27-25, 25-27, 25-19, 25-21 victory in Friday's fourth and final Southland Conference Tournament quarterfinal match at the Convocation Center.
The No. 6 seed Roadrunners finished the year with a 12-19 overall record, while SFA won its fourth contest in a row to improve to 23-12.
"I thought we competed, but when it came down to needing to perform well, we weren't able to get the job done," eighth-year head coach Laura Neugebauer-Groff said after the match. "We had a lead in all four sets, but we've had a hard time finishing people off this season and it's the same problem we had tonight."
With outside hitter Elise Huskey leading the way with five kills, UTSA had four chances to win the opening set, but the Ladyjacks were able to stay alive and they scored the final three points of the frame to go in front early.
The following stanza was nearly identical, as the two teams battled to 15 ties and a quartet of lead changes, but this time it was the Birds who came out on top. However, it didn't come without drama, as UTSA needed four more set points to tie things up. A Bottles service error with the score tied at 25 gave the Roadrunners a one-point cushion and Paloma Buckner followed with a ball-handling miscue to send the teams into the locker room tied at one.
The close play continued after intermission, but SFA used an 8-0 run midway through the third frame to turn a one-point deficit into a 13-6 advantage and it held off a late charge by UTSA to go in front, 2-1. Kelsey Owens led the way with four winners and Bottles had five block assists, which helped limit the Roadrunners to an .021 hitting percentage (11 kills/10 errors/48 attacks) in the set.
A kill by outside hitter Kendra Rowland tied the fourth set at 17-all, but Stephen F. Austin followed with four consecutive points to take control of the stanza and UTSA got no closer than two the rest of the way.
Huskey and Rowland paced the UTSA offense with 11 kills apiece. Defensively, libero Kelsey Jewasko racked up a match-best 25 digs and Rowland added 14 for her team-leading 16th double-double of the season.
The Ladyjacks will take on seventh-seed Nicholls (13-18) in the tournament's second semifinal on Saturday. First serve is scheduled for 4 p.m. The Colonels upset No. 2 seed Sam Houston State in four sets in Friday's third quarterfinal.