TULSA, Okla. – Sophomore Madeline McKay and senior Briana McCulloch paced UTSA to a win over SIU-Edwardsville in the first match of the Tulsa Invitational at the Reynolds Center Friday.
The Roadrunners improve to 3-4 on the season with the 3-1 (25-19, 25-18, 22-25, 25-15) victory, while the Cougars drop to 5-2.
McKay doubled her previous career high in kills and posted the best hitting percentage in her collegiate career at .500 (8-1-14). McCulloch recorded her sixth .250-plus hitting percentage on the season and fourth over .300, converting 13 kills and three errors in 30 attempts (.333)
Hot starts by UTSA in the first two games provided early advantages, allowing the Roadrunners to grab a 2-0 edge before intermission.
In the first set, UTSA raced out to a 7-2 lead, before the Cougars made a run of their own and knotted the contest at nine all. The Roadrunners never trailed in the opener despite a valiant effort by SIUE. After back-to-back blocks by Annie Ellis trimmed the advantage to 17-16, McCulloch and Kirby Smith bumped the edge up to four with three straight kills. Another kill and block by McCulloch and two errors by the Cougars gave UTSA its first set point, which was immediately smashed home by freshman Bianca Ejesieme.
Early in set two, the SIUE stayed close at 7-5, before kills by Hannah Lopez and McKay, a service ace by Jenna Patton and a miscue by the Cougars gave UTSA an 11-5 lead. The Roadrunners doubled its advantage at 18-9 courtesy of three attack errors by SIUE, another kill by McKay and back-to-back services aces from Emily Ramirez.
The Cougars grabbed their first lead of the match with the first point after intermission and aided by their defense avoided being swept with a three-point win.
UTSA converted 15 of 33 attacks and added four service aces in the fourth game and cruised to the victory. The Roadrunners jumped out early like the first two sets and hit a match high .303 as a team in the set, while holding the opposition to a .130 (5-2-23) clip
Freshman Courtney Walters continued her string of double-digit assists to start her career. She tallied 23 and has reached 18 or more in all seven contests.
Sophomore Mia Perales posted her sixth-straight double digit assist game with 18 and added seven digs.
Ramirez set a personal best with five service aces, while adding 12 digs and five assists.
Day one wraps up with the Roadrunners taking on host Tulsa at 7 p.m.
