SAN ANTONIO — Dajana Boskovic set a single-match record for three sets with 27 kills to pace UTSA to a sweep (25-19, 29-27, 25-21) over rival Rice on Friday night at the Convocation Center.
Boskovic's 27 winners surpassed the previous mark of 26 last done in 2004. The senior also collected her sixth double-double with 14 digs. Antonela Jularic also reached double figures as she registered 13 kills and 14 digs. Meanwhile, Amanda Gonzales added 49 assists, along with 10 digs, to the Roadrunners offense. Daniella Villarreal led the team in digs with 16 while Kara Teal added a team-high four blocks.
Collectively, UTSA (15-4, 6-1 C-USA) notched 74 digs, the most for a three-set contest this season.
The Roadrunners hit a match-high in the opening set as they posted a .364 hitting percentage to win 25-19. Ten ties and seven lead changes were seen in the first set but UTSA managed to pull away after the final tie at 16-all. A kill from Boskovic followed by another from Jularic paved the way to the win.
In the second set, Rice (14-9, 6-2 C-USA) rallied toward the end of the frame to even the score at 19 as the score bounced back and forth the rest of the way. After the Owls knotted the score at 26 and took a 27-26 lead on a kill from Shelby Livingstone, the Roadrunners used back-to-back kills from Boskovic and a block by Kara Teal and Marijeta Runjic to secure the win, 29-27.
UTSA stayed strong in the third set to win 25-21. The score went back-and-forth early in the stanza but after Teal and Boskovic denied a Rice attack at the net to go up 9-8, the Roadrunners lead held the rest of the way.
Chelsey Harris and Leah Mikesky led Rice with 13 and 10 kills respectively.
The Roadrunners will return to the Convocation Center for its Dig Pink match on Sunday, Oct. 23, when UTSA hosts the top team in the league WKU (20-2, 7-0 C-USA) at 12:30 p.m.
