THIBODAUX, La. — Senior Kendra Rowland's double-double of 16 digs and 13 kills helped UTSA sweep Nicholls on Saturday and push its winning streak to six while recording the program's best Southland Conference start in school history. The Roadrunners, now 13-9 overall and 7-1 in league play, have won eight of their last nine matches.
Rowland's double-double was her 10th of the season, while sophomores Brittney Malloy and Whitney Walls followed her into double-digit winners with 11 and 10, respectively. Redshirt sophomore Kelsey Schwirtlich, who handed out 34 assists, guided a powerful UTSA attack to the tune of a season-best .406 hitting percentage.
The Birds' defense also shined, holding Nicholls (11-10, 3-5 SLC) to a .186 hitting percentage. Junior Kelsey Jewasko collected a match-high 19 digs, while Walls had a team-leading with five blocks.
UTSA grabbed a 7-6 lead in the opening set and never looked back. UTSA cruised to the 13-point win, which featured four winners from Rowland.
An impressive offensive attack highlighted the second frame, as the Roadrunners hit at a .462 clip behind 20 kills in 39 swings with only two attack errors. Walls led the way with a half dozen kills.
UTSA jumped out to a large lead in the third stanza for the second day in a row , this time to the tune of a 5-1 advantage. After Nicholls tied the match at six, the Birds pulled away for good on the strength of an 11-3 run. The Roadrunners cruised from there to win by 10 and Malloy led the way with seven kills in the final set.
UTSA will return home to host Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (10-11, 4-4 SLC) on Thursday, Oct. 21. First serve is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at the Convocation Center. The Roadrunners ran their all-time record against the Islanders to a perfect 13-0 with a four-set victory on Oct. 6.
