Jessica Amaya 
EDINBURG- After losing its first conference match against Stephen F. Austin on October 27, the UTRGV volleyball team bounced back with a win on October 29 against UT Arlington.
The Vaqueros took the victory against UT Arlington in three straight sets as Sarah Cruz led the vaqueros with 14 kills, 6 digs, and 3 aces.
In the first set, the Vaqueros came out strong to outscore the Mavericks 25 to 8. In the second set, the Mavericks increased their number of kills and went on several runs to take control. Vaquero Graduate Student Sarah Cruz contributed several kills mid-set to stop the Maverick’s momentum and bring UTRGV back on top, ending the set with another win. Down 2 sets, the Mavericks were no match for the vaqueros, falling 25 to 17 in the third and final set.
Todd Lowery, UTRGV volleyball head coach said the team’s first conference loss only made them work harder for the following games.
“It was a little bit of a long face, but it wasn’t a poor me long face. It was like yeah; we did this to ourselves kind of face and what are we going to do about it, we really talked about that first contact and what it means for us to be efficient and give Luanna a chance to really showcase what she can do and keep everyone involved,” said Lowery.
Luanna Emiliano, sophomore setter achieved a huge milestone as she recorded her 2,000th career assist as a Vaquero against UT Arlington. Finishing the match with 2,032 assists, Emiliano surpassed Nycole Masaki for fourth in program history and is two away from tying Marie Velasquez, who is third with 2,034.
“I think in my head it was like it’s just numbered, I don’t get in debt. I have to play for my team. I like to help my teammates and make them score or make them feel good on the court, but I am happy, it’s a good thing,” said Emiliano.
The WAC Tournament officially starts on November 17 at the UTRGV Fieldhouse.
For more information on the tournament, visit goutrgv.com.
