EDINBURG - The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros volleyball team served up a season-high 12 aces, including one on the last play of the match, to beat the Utah Valley University Wolverines 3-2 (25-17, 20-25, 18-25, 25-21, 15-8) on Monday at the UTRGV Fieldhouse. 

Up 14-8 in the fifth set, junior Paulina Ramirez served one of her two aces to end the match. 

Sophomore Sarah Cruz led the Vaqueros (13-12, 7-4 WAC) with a career-high tying 19 kills, five digs and two aces. Senior Barbara Silva recorded 16 kills with five blocks. Junior Samaret Caraballo served up four aces with a career-high tying 25 digs. Freshman Victoire Nama served up three aces with nine kills. Junior Debora Nazario dished out 49 assists with seven digs, three blocks and one ace. Sophomore McAllen alum Carter Helmcamp also served up an ace. 

Kazna Tarawhiti led the Wolverines (8-14, 5-5 WAC) with 16 kills, 10 digs and six blocks. Bailey Christensen finished with 10 kills. 

The Vaqueros were in control throughout the first set, using a 9-4 run to go up 16-10. The Vaqueros extended their lead to 24-16 on back-to-back Nama kills. One point later, a Nama kill ended the set. 

After the Wolverines took the next two sets, the Vaqueros found themselves down 16-17 in the fourth set. Three Cruz kills helped the Vaqueros win five-straight serves to take the lead. The Vaqueros reached set point at 24-19 on a Silva kill before a kill by junior Veronika Jandova ended the set. 

The Vaqueros jumped out to a 3-1 lead in the fifth set on a Caraballo ace. The Vaqueros extended their lead to 9-6 on a block by Silva and senior Talita Oliveira and 13-7 on a block by Silva and Jandova. The Vaqueros reached match point on a Cruz kill, setting up Ramirez’s ace. 

UTRGV concludes this four-match home stand on Saturday at 12 p.m. against New Mexico State at the UTRGV Fieldhouse.