SAN ANTONIO – The UTSA volleyball team dropped its third and final game of the UTSA Invitational presented by Courtyard Marriott on Saturday, losing to UT-Arlington 3-2.
The Roadrunners (3-6) and the Mavericks (5-4) had each won their previous two matches of the tournament, making the Saturday matchup essentially a championship game. UTSA started the match hot, taking the first two sets. The Mavericks responded though and pulled off a reverse sweep to claim the tournament crown.
Following the conclusion of the tournament, an all-tournament team was announced, as voted on by the participating coaches. Brianna Ford of UTA was named the MVP of the tournament and two other Maverick players, Alli Wells and Sophie Skinner, were also named to the all-tournament team. UTSA had two members of its own, as Ava Camacho and Katelyn Krienke earned the recognition. Rounding out the all-tournament team was McNeese's Bailey Tillman.
First Set (UTSA: 25-17: UTA)
UTSA came storming out of the gates to start the day, as the Roadrunners were able to nab an 11-4 lead to start the game. UTSA was able to grow the lead to as large as nine and would eventually go on to win the set by eight points. Alicia Coppedge and Kelsey Carpenter each had three kills to pace the offense while Cansu Günaydin had two kills of her own and two aces.
Second Set (UTSA: 27-25: UTA)
The Roadrunners were able to carry the late set one momentum into the second stanza, eventually jumping out to a 16-10 lead. The Mavericks however were not to be outdone, as UT Arlington rallied and pulled the match even at 24 all. UTSA then went on a 3-1 run in the final minutes of the set to claim a 27-25 victory and go up 2-0 in the match. Krienke (5), Coppedge (4) and Günaydin (4) led the team in kills for the set and helped the Roadrunners hit .237. Courtney Walters had 12 assists in the set, giving her two straight sets with double-digit assists as she had 11 in the first.
Third Set (UTA: 25-23: UTSA)
The third set played out much tighter throughout compared to the first two. Neither team was able to gain momentum or pull away and the set came down to the wire. UTSA and UTA found themselves knotted at 23 before the Mavericks scored the final two points to put the set away and win 25-23. Günaydin again had a solid set, tallying four kills and two aces to lead the Roadrunner offense.
Fourth Set (UTA: 25-18: UTSA)
After pulling away late in the third set, UT Arlington was able to carry the momentum into the fourth set. The Mavericks claimed an early five-point lead that they were able to grow throughout the match, eventually going on to win by seven, 25-18. The Roadrunners had their worst hitting set of the day in the fourth, hitting just .053.
Fifth Set (UTA: 15-9: UTSA)
After claiming two straight, UT Arlington completed the reverse sweep in the fifth, downing UTSA 15-9. The Mavericks were in control all set, as they grabbed an early 2-1 lead and never looked back. Günaydin ended the match with 15 kills and four aces, both match highs. Coppedge (12), Krienke (11) and Carpenter (10) all had double-digit kills while Walters finished with 41 assists.
Final Tournament Standings
UT Arlington: 3-0
UTSA: 2-1
McNeese State: 1-2
South Florida: 0-3
Up Next
UTSA will return to the Convocation Center next weekend to host its second straight early-season tournament. This tournament, dubbed the Roadrunner Classic presented by Courtyard Marriott, will feature Houston Baptist, Valparaiso and UIW as well as UTSA. The tournament will take place over Sept. 16 and 17 and all matches featuring UTSA will be streamed on CUSA.tv.
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