GREENVILLE, N.C. – The UTSA Volleyball team suffered a 25-19, 25-21, 25-21 setback at the hands of East Carolina in American Athletic Conference action inside Minges Coliseum on Friday.
The Roadrunners (6-10, 0-3 The American) fell to the Pirates (9-4, 2-1 The American) despite senior Aliah Giroux leading the match with 26 digs. Sophomore Annika Sokol joined her in the double-digit dig club with 11 scoops to go along with a team-high 13 assists. Freshman Ally Tribe paced the 'Runners with nine kills and classmate Caroline Tredwell in blocks with three.
ECU took an 11-5 advantage early in the first, en route to a 20-13 score line. Looking to mount a comeback, a trio of Tribe kills pulled UTSA within four, but the Pirates persevered, working a 25-19 victory.
A Tredwell termination provided a 10-7 UTSA lead in the second stanza, but the Pirates evened things for an 11-11 tie. After exchanging blows, a junior Caroline Krueger kill, and an ECU error saw a 17-15 Roadrunner advantage. The Pirates battled back, taking a 20-19 lead that forced a UTSA timeout. A successful attack for Tredwell followed, ahead of a 6-1 surge that handed ECU the set, 25-21.
The 'Runners strung together five straight to build a 5-3 edge early in the third. ECU matched the streak for an 8-5 Pirate lead and shortly after built a 14-9 advantage. UTSA recorded another five-point swing that allowed back-to-back Durgens aces to see a 14-14 tie. The Pirates broke away, but a junior Mia Soerensen/Tredwell block kept UTSA in the fight, issuing a 22-20 score line. ECU quickly closed things out, using a 25-21 win to cement the match.
UTSA will look to bounce back on Sunday, as they take on Charlotte with a noon matchup on the docket inside Halton Arena.
Keep up with UTSA Volleyball on goutsa.com, and by following the program on Facebook at /UTSAVBall, Twitter @UTSAVolleyball, and on Instagram @utsa_vb.
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