SAN ANTONIO – Kelsey Carpenter had a team-high 15 kills on a .433 hitting percentage as UTSA held off a late two-set rally by Houston Baptist to put the Huskies away in five sets on Friday afternoon as a part of the Roadrunner Classic presented by Courtyard Marriott.
The Roadrunners (4-6) took an early two-set lead on Houston Baptist (7-4) thanks to a strong first two sets from Carpenter, Katelyn Krienke and Alicia Coppedge. Carpenter (8), Coppedge (6) and Krienke (5) led the UTSA offensive attack which was aided by Courtney Walters' 24 early assists.
After dropping sets three and four, UTSA responded with a set five victory over Houston Baptist, claiming the match 3-2. The five-set match was UTSA's second five-set match in a row.
First Set (UTSA: 25-14: HBU)
UTSA jumped out to an early 10-4 lead in the first set, using a 4-0 run to force an HBU timeout. The Roadrunners kept the pressure on, outscoring the Huskies 15-10 over the remainder of the first set. The Roadrunners had a balanced scoring attack in the first set as four players had at least three kills. Carpenter (4) led the way while Coppedge, Ifeanyi and Walters followed her up with three apiece. UTSA ended with 17 kills in the set on a .635 hitting percentage, their highest in a single set on the year.
Second Set (UTSA: 25-23: HBU)
Houston Baptist played UTSA to a much closer set in the second stanza as neither team was able to pull away and claim momentum. Carpenter again had a huge set for the Roadrunners as the junior outside hitter had four kills on six attack attempts with a block assist to lead UTSA. Brooke Hirsch had seven digs while Walters had 11 assists in the set.
Third Set (HBU: 25-17: UTSA)
The third set saw a back-and-forth beginning with five tie scores and two lead changes before the Huskies gained some control and found themselves with a 16-10 lead. UTSA had its fewest kills in a 25-point set on the day, only mustering 12 against HBU. Carpenter again had a team-high kills in the set as she tied with Hunter Coppola at three. Walters turned in her second straight set with 11 assists as she moved up to 35 of the day.
Fourth Set (HBU: 25-20: UTSA)
Houston Baptist continued its third set momentum into the fourth frame as it downed UTSA to tie the match up at two-all. The Roadrunners started the fourth set on a three-nothing run only to see HBU counter with an 8-0 run and the Huskies never looked back. UTSA made things interesting towards the middle of the set as the Roadrunners pulled within one (13-12) before HBU slammed the door and was able to keep UTSA away.
Fifth Set (UTSA: 15-11: HBU)
After watching the Huskies claim two straight sets, the Roadrunners were able to regain control and ultimately claimed the match in the fifth set. After falling behind 5-2 early, Cansu Günaydin made sure UTSA wasn't going to lose as the Rutgers transfer had three of UTSA's eight kills in the set and paced the Roadrunner offense to victory.
Tournament Standings (through two games)
Valparaiso: 1-0
UTSA: 1-0
UIW: 0-1
Houston Baptist: 0-1
Up Next
UTSA will return to the Convocation Center tonight, Sept. 16, at 7 p.m. to take on the undefeated Valparaiso Beacons (10-0). The match is UTSA's military appreciation night and fans are encouraged to dress to the theme of the movie Top Gun. The match will be streamed on CUSA.tv.
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