SAN ANTONIO – The Roadrunner volleyball team dropped Sunday's Homecoming contest to the FIU Panthers, 3-1 (20-25, 17-25, 25-19, 20-25).
UTSA (7-14, 2-7) has now lost five straight matches while FIU (6-16, 3-6) won the match, jumping UTSA in the Conference USA standings.
The Roadrunners fell to FIU despite receiving a season-high performance from Hunter Coppola who turned in 15 kills at a .205 clip to lead the UTSA offensive efforts. Senior setter Courtney Walters contributed 37 assists and three different Roadrunners had at least 12 digs.
First Set (FIU 25-20 UTSA)
The first stanza of action featured close action throughout as the two teams found themselves tied four times. The last tie came at the end of the set when UTSA rallied to knot things up at 20-all. FIU however, responded and finished the first set on a 5-0 run to claim the set win. Coppola and Alicia Coppedge led the UTSA charge as each had three kills through one set of action.
Second Set (FIU 25-17 UTSA)
Set two featured more back-and-forth action as the two teams exchanged leads three times and found themselves tied up on four other occasions within the first 14 total points of the set. The Panthers were able to gain some separation and grasp the early lead, taking a 15-11 score into the media timeout. From there on, FIU went on a 10-6 run to close out the set and claim a 2-0 match lead. Four different Roadrunners tallied two kills in the set and Walters dished out eight assists.
Third Set (UTSA 25-19 FIU)
The Roadrunners put their foot down in the third set, claiming the early set momentum with an 8-3 lead and forcing an FIU timeout. The Panthers weren't fazed however and fought back to retake the lead 10-9. UTSA showed resolve though and retook the lead, eventually claiming an 18-13 advantage. The Roadrunners were able to put the set away from there, pushing the match to 2-1. Coppola had a match-high seven-kill set while Walters had a match-high 13-assist set to pace the Roadrunners. UTSA recorded its best hitting percentage of the match in the third set as they hit at a .250 clip.
Fourth Set (FIU 25-20 UTSA)
The Panthers and Roadrunners played another hotly contested set of volleyball in the fourth as the two teams were knotted up 11 different times throughout the set. After a 19-19 stalemate, FIU finished the set on a 6-1 run to ultimately claim the match, 3-1. Cansu Günaydin, Coppola and Katelyn Krienke each had three kills in the set.
Up Next
UTSA will return to action next Friday, Oct. 28, when it welcomes nationally ranked Rice to the Historic Convocation Center. First serve is set for 6 p.m. and the match will be streamed on both CUSA.tv and Stadium Plus. Fans who attend Friday's match are encouraged to show up dressed in their Halloween costumes.
- UTSA -
