SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Freshman Bianca Ejesieme and the rest of her classmates spurred UTSA to a 3-1 (25-17, 25-16, 21-25, 25-18) rout of Louisiana Tech at the Convocation Center Friday.
The Roadrunners improved to 11-7 overall and 4-1 in Conference USA, while the Lady Techsters fall to 11-7, including 1-3 in league action.
In front of the largest home crowd of the season on Breast Cancer Awareness night, the UTSA fan base got a glimpse into the future as most of the offense came from the underclassmen.
Through the first two games, LA Tech held the lead for one point, capitalizing on a service error by the Roadrunners to open the second set. They ran off four points in succession, before the Lady Techsters responded with a three-point rally of their own, trimming the margin to 5-4. A Kirby Smith service ace capped a 5-1 spurt, building a five-point edge and the Roadrunners led by at least three the rest of the game. They went to intermission with a commanding 2-0 lead.
In the third game, an 8-2 spurt by the guest forced a timeout by the home side. The Roadrunners clawed their way back into the set and trailed 23-19, before a kill by Jordan Carswell pushed LA Tech to the brink of claiming the set. Successful attacks by Ejesieme and Smith trimmed the margin to 24-21 but that was as close as the host could get and the visitor's forced a fourth game.
Game four featured four ties and two lead changes, with Ejesieme giving her side the lead for good with a kill that made the score 11-10. Smith's successful attack nudged the Roadrunners advantage out to 14-11 and LA Tech called a timeout. The teams swapped points until the guest burned their final timeout of the game, trailing 20-16. A 5-2 run that featured Ejesieme's final two kills and three miscues by the Lady Techsters salted away the victory.
A roster that features four seniors and no juniors on the 15-member squad, Ejesieme led the charge for the underclassmen. She posted career best in kills (16), attempts (24) and hitting percentage (.625), while committing just one attack error.
Freshman Courtney Walters recorded a double-double with 48 assists – a career high - and 10 digs. Freshman Jenna Patton registered a .400 hitting percentage (5-1-10).
Sophomore Hannah Lopez tallied a double-double with 12 kills and 12 digs, while classmates Smith and Mia Ybarra finished with 14 kills and 16 digs, respectively.
UTSA concludes the two-match home stand Sunday when the Roadrunners hosts UAB at 1 p.m. The Blazers defeated UTEP Friday, 3-0, in El Paso, Texas.
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