HUNSTVILLE — UTSA picked up wins against torunament host Sam Houston State and former Conference USA foe Tulane on Saturday to finish up a perfect run to 27th Bearkats Invitational Championship.
Kylie Schott was named the event's Most Valuable Player, while Dajana Boskovic and Jessica Walrip also were named to the all-tournament team.
The Roadrunners (4-0) will continue their season-opening seven-match road swing when they participate at next weekend's Delta Zeta Classic in San Marcos. UTSA will take on Texas State (Thursday, Sept. 3), Indiana (Friday, Sept. 4) and Texas Southern (Saturday, Sept. 5).
UTSA 3, Sam Houston State 2
UTSA had to battle in its first match of the day as it went to five sets with the host team – Sam Houston State (19-25, 25-20, 25-20, 19-25, 15-12). Dajana Boskovic’s career high 26 kills and 11 digs led the Roadrunners.
Reigning C-USA Setter of the Year Jessica Waldrip picked up her first match of 50 assists, to go with 10 digs for her first double-double of the season. Waldrip also had four blocks.
Meanwhile, UTSA (3-0) snapped SHSU 16-match home winning streak. The Bearkats last were handed a loss back in the 2013 campaign.
After dropping the first set 25-19, the Roadrunners bounced back with wins in the second and third set by the score of 25-20.
The fourth set brought the Roadrunners troubles once again as the frame saw nine ties and two lead changes. Both teams traded points until late in the stanza and a kill by Madison Wallace gave up to the Bearkats’ 25-19 win.
The fifth set was no easy task for the Roadrunners with three ties and one lead change. UTSA battled and pulled through after a kill from Boskovic gave the Roadrunners a 12-11 lead. SHSU came back to tie the score at 12 but three straight points off a Kasey Kiefer kill, Megan Slan block and Daniella Villarreal ace secured the win.
UTSA 3, Tulane 0
In the final match of the day for UTSA, the Roadrunners made quick work of the Tulane Green Wave (25-16, 25-14, 25-19).
The Roadrunners rolled through Tulane (1-3) and held the Green Wave to a .067 hitting percentage. With the win, UTSA improved to 4-0 on the year and head coach Laura Neugebauer-Groff is seven wins away from reach her 500th career win.
Boskovic reached double figures for the third time this weekend with 16 kills and also tallied nine digs and three blocks. Kiefer posted double-digit kills with a career-best 11 with a .321 hitting percentage.
After Tulane scored the first point of the match, the Roadrunners gained control and never looked back winning the first set 25-16.
The second frame followed suit as UTSA downed Tulane 25-14.
The Green Wave attempted to trouble the Roadrunners in the final set with six ties but would not rattle UTSA off its game. The final tie came at the 9-all mark from Tulane but three consecutive kills from Kiefer pushed the Roadrunners lead to 12-9.
UTSA ended the match on a 4-1 run with two of those points coming off of kills from Tessa Dahnert.