Nacogdoches, TX – (Contributed) – December 5, 2024 – Arkansas State volleyball picked up its first postseason victory since 2018, topping UT Rio Grande Valley 3-1 (21-25, 25-21, 25-16, 25-13) in the first round of the NIVC inside Shelton Gym.
The Red Wolves (27-5) bounced back from a 1-0 deficit with its defense, knocking down 10 of its 13 total blocks in the final three sets and holding the Vaqueros (16-12) to a .148 clip in those frames.
Devyn Lewis and Kaitlin Whitlock registered 10 kills each for A-State, with Whitlock adding 18 digs. Sarah Martinez also had 18 digs to lead the Red Wolves. On the block, Haley Glunz tallied nine blocks, while Grace Wiley had five with nine kills.
A-State served six aces in the contest, with three from Martinez and two by Glunz.
UTRGV seized early momentum, taking a 5-1 lead with the help of a pair of aces by Ilana De Assis. The Red Wolves pulled even at 15-all on one of Wiley’s three kills in the set, but the Vaqueros took command with a 4-0 run to lead 21-17. A-State saved a pair of set points with kills by Daedrianna Cail and Whitlock, but Perris Key clinched the opening set for UTRGV with a kill.
A-State took control with a 4-1 lead to start the second set and never trailed in the frame en route to leveling the match at a set apiece. A 5-0 run with kills by Lewis and Wiley expanded the Red Wolves’ lead to 24-19. UTRGV saved two set points, but a service error clinched the set for the Scarlet and Black.
The Red Wolves continued to put on the pressure in the third set, taking a 4-1 lead and once more never trailing. A 5-0 run pushed A-State’s lead to 17-10, with Glunz accounting for three kills in the stretch, and then a four-point swing made it 21-12. The Scarlet and Black cruised to victory in the set, winning 25-16 to take a 2-1 lead in the match.
Arkansas State scored eight of the first nine points of the fourth set and built a quick double-digit lead – leading 15-5 on a kill by Whitlock, whose 10th kill later made it 18-9. The Red Wolves limited the Vaqueros to just .030 on the attack in the fourth set to finish off the first-round win.
NEXT UP
The Red Wolves advance to the Super 16 of the NIVC and will face the winner of the match between Jackson State and host Stephen F. Austin, with first serve set for 6 p.m. Friday inside Shelton Gym in Nacogdoches. The match will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
