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Gigi Mason Swings During Friday Home Loss Versus Rice (Nov. 6, 2026 - San Antonio, Texas)Gigi Mason Swings During Friday Home Loss Versus Rice (Nov. 6, 2026 - San Antonio, Texas)
Vashaun Newman
Volleyball

Mason wows in return as Roadrunners' lead slips away versus Rice

Box Score

SAN ANTONIO – On Friday evening, UTSA Volleyball hosted Rice in an American Conference matchup from the Convocation Center. The ‘Runners took a 2-1 advantage but saw their lead slip away by a final ledger of 18-25, 25-20, 25-19, 18-25, 11-15. With the loss, the Navy & Orange moved to 12-12 overall and 3-10 in league play. Rice improved to 16-9, climbing to 10-3 against American competition.

FIRST SET

The visitors jumped out to a 7-2 lead and never let the ‘Runners back within four. Isabella Arroyave found the floor twice but still faced a seven-point deficit at the media stoppage. A pair of kills from Ledisi Kpea kept her side in it, setting up three more blows from Arroyave. Ultimately, seven attack errors and three missed serves proved costly as Rice cruised to an opening-frame 25-18 victory.

SECOND SET

Both sides got their blocks involved early on before Gigi Mason made her return to the floor with a rejection and a kill courtesy of Megan Hawkins to pull ahead 9-6. Each squad exchanged four-point bursts as Mason found the floor twice more on either side of a Tredwell ace. Mason and Tredwell then paired up for two kills and a tandem block after a perfect serve from Giada Obregon, sending the Owls into a timeout down 20-14. The southpaw opposite hitter capped her dazzling seven-kill second frame with three more terminations as Hawkins continued to dial up the redshirt sophomore. Ledisi Kpea subsequently joined Mason on a block, sealing a convincing 25-20 set win for the home side.

THIRD SET

Hawkins found the hardwood on a serve before settling into a rhythm with Sydney Bryant, pulling ahead 8-6 in the early stages. Service errors from both sides plagued the ensuing stretch, keeping a one-point edge for UTSA at the media break. In total, seven ties came to bear as Alyssa Manitzas led the way with eight digs to slow Rice’s attack. UTSA turned back to Bryant late, opening up a comfortable cushion before the redshirt freshman paired with Kpea for a set-clinching rejection at 25-19.  

FOURTH SET

In a blink, Rice’s second ace secured a 10-5 lead as the hosts had already spent a timeout. Setter Valeria Ortiz came up with a kill before Kpea added three more blocks to her line, but the Owls regained momentum with three separate 3-0 runs. Four blocks were enough to keep the visitors in front for good as they evened the affair with another 25-18 victory.

FIFTH SET

After changing sides, each squad found an early ace to enter a 5-5 stalemate. Six of the ensuing seven rallies went in Rice’s favor, including five kills, opening its edge for good and forcing two stoppages from UTSA. Ortiz found Mason ahead of another Kpea solo block, but the Roadrunners’ comeback fell short at 15-11.

NUMBERS OF NOTE

  • For the third straight match, at least three different Roadrunners tallied 10 or more kills.
  • Gigi Mason and Isabella Arroyave led the way with 13 terminations apiece.
  • The former made her first appearance since Sept. 12, adding four blocks and three digs in her return.
  • Arroyave notched her fourth double-double of the campaign, tallying 15 digs on the night.
  • Alyssa Manitzas’ 27 digs led both sides and set a new career high as she helped hold the Owls to a .186 hitting percentage.
  • Caroline Tredwell rounded out the trio of Roadrunners with double-digit kill totals, racking up 10 to go with four rejections and an ace.
  • Giada Obregon expanded her team lead with two aces on the night, bringing her season total to 22.
  • The sophomore added 12 digs from the back row, completing the trio of ‘Runners with 10-plus.
  • UTSA’s 80 digs were a season high, besting its previous mark of 77 against South Florida.
  • Ledisi Kpea tallied nine kills and racked up eight blocks, including two of the solo variety.
  • The redshirt junior has paced her club in blocks on 15 occasions this fall, securing her 12th outing with at least five.
  • Valeria Ortiz’s 29 assists set a new personal best, surpassing a mark of 28, which she had previously reached twice.
  • The senior also poured in eight assists and a kill against the Owls.
  • Megan Hawkins added 26 assists for an individual season-high, notching an ace and seven digs along the way.
  • Redshirt freshman Sydney Bryant matched her career best with five blocks on the day, supplementing her eight-kill, three-dig evening.
  • Brooke Elliott posted six kills for the second consecutive contest, matching her best mark in conference play.
  • UTSA tallied 14 blocks in the loss, notching its ninth contest with double digits and 15th outing of eight or more.
  • The ‘Runners are now 4-6 in orange jerseys on the campaign.
  • UTSA moved to 1-5 in five-set American Conference matchups this season.
  • With a victory in the second frame, UTSA picked up its first set over Rice since Feb. 28, 2021.

UP NEXT

On Sunday, UTSA welcomes Wichita State (7-18, 4-9 AMER) in a rematch from less than a month ago. The ‘Runners look to avenge a road five-set Oct. 16 loss and snap the subsequent six-match skid that followed. All the action from the Convocation Center will be streamed live on ESPN+ and available to follow via utsa.statbroadcast.com.

For complete coverage of UTSA Volleyball during the 2026 season, visit goutsa.com. On social media, follow the Roadrunners on Twitter/X (@UTSAvolleyball), Instagram (utsa_vb) and Facebook (UTSA Volleyball).

-UTSA-