SAN ANTONIO -- A furious third-set comeback pushed UTSA volleyball to a three-set sweep (25-14, 25-19, 26-24) over the University of Incarnate Word in the lone exhibition of the year for both teams, played on Thursday night at the Convocation Center.
UTSA cruised to wins in the first two sets to take a commanding lead entering the third. UIW rallied with two 5-0 runs to build a lead as high as eight, including a 18-10 advantage. The Roadrunners responded, mounting a 15-6 stretch finish off the win, getting seven of the last nine points to take a 26-24 win.
The Roadrunners were paced offensively by 10 kills each from Hannah Froeschl and Brianna McCulloch. Froeschl finished with a .562 hitting percentage. Freshman Kirby Smith had five kills and seven digs, with Kara Teal and Montse Castro each earning three kills. Amanda Gonzales has a team-high 22 assists, adding eight digs. Mia Ybarra led the team with 14 digs.
UTSA came out of the gate strong, taking the first three points of the set and extending the early lead to 4-1 after a block from Smith, a native of Plano, Texas. UTSA added to its lead after an ace from Smith for a 6-1 lead. The Roadrunners then got a kill from McCulloch for an 8-4 lead. A pair of aces led to a 15-9 lead, forcing a timeout from UIW. UTSA put away the set with a 6-0 run to take a 24-12 lead, getting kills from Froeschl and McCulloch.
The Roadrunners continued a strong start in the second game, racing out to a 9-1 lead, behind two kills from Montse Castro and kills each from McCulloch and Froeschl and forcing a UIW timeout. The Cardinals rallied out of the break to cut the lead to 10-6 with Coach Laura Neugebauer-Groff calling for her first timeout. The Roadrunners answered with three straight points after the timeout, stretching their lead to 16-7. UIW rapped out the next four points before the Roadrunners went on a 3-0 run to take a 21-13 lead after two kills from Smith. McCulloch's kill lifted UTSA to a 23-15 lead, fighting off a late charge from the Cardinals for a 25-19 win.
After opening the third set with the first two points, UTSA saw the Cards mount a 6-0 run to force a UTSA timeout with the Roadrunners trailing, 8-5. Kenedi Rutherford pulled UTSA to within two but the Cards went on their second 5-0 run of the set to take a 13-6 lead. UTSA wouldn't quit, trading points until mounting a 15-6 run to end the set, including fighting off a set-point chance for UIW to claim the last two points for a 26-24 win.
UTSA will return to action with its season opener on Aug. 24 vs. San Francisco in West Point, N.Y.