EDINBURG, Texas—Carol Grasso recorded her team leading 11th double-double to lead CSU Bakersfield past UT Rio Grande Valley 3-1 in Western Athletic Conference volleyball play Thursday night.

The Roadrunners used a strong serve (four aces) and used their defense (18 digs) to defeat the Vaqueros 25-21 in the first set. UTRGV scored the first five points of the second set, and nine of the first 11. The Roadrunners chipped away at the Vaquero's advantage, cutting the lead to 15-10 before UTRGV called timeout. CSUB continued to whittle down the lead, closing to 17-13, but that would be as close as the 'Runners would get as UTRGV tied the match 25-18.

UTRGV (16-9, 5-4 WAC) jumped out to 14-6 third set lead before CSUB would score five straight to force a Vaquero timeout. UTRGV came out of the break and would score, but the Roadrunners continued to close, making it 15-13. At 17-15, a Grasso service ace created a one-point set. Her next serve was a strong one, but the ball bounced off a UTRGV player back onto the CSUB side for a point. Katie Dunbar-Lowe's kill again made it a one-point set before the set was tied on a Vaquero hitting error.

A Jocelyn Rodriguez service aces put CSUB up for the first time in the set at 19-18. Kortney Freeland's kill advanced the advantage to two before UTRGV called timeout. The Vaqueros scored on a Bojana Mitrovic kill, but her service error returned the serve to the 'Runners. A CSUB hitting error put the Vaqueros back on serve at 21-20. UTRGV took the lead on back-to-back hitting errors. Leading 22-21, Barbara Silva's hitting error tied the set. A CSUB service error returned the lead to UTRGV. CSUB setter Fabiana Andrade tied the set when she went on two with a kill. Grasso's kill provided the 'Runners with a set point. CSUB went again to Grasso who put the Roadrunners up 2-1 in the match with cross court kill for a 25-23 set victory.

The Vaqueros again started strong, scoring four of the first six points in the fourth set. A block from Sydney Haynes and Kortney Freeland would cap off a spurt that tied things up at five. The set would be tied at six, seven, eight, nine, 10, and 11, before the Vaqueros would chart the next two in a row. The Roadrunners returned the favor by posting the next four for a 15-13 advantage heading into the media timeout.  

UTRGV came out of the break and recorded the next two to the set once again at 15. A Haynes kill put the ball back into Roadrunner hands, but UTRGV sided out to knot the set at 16. Madi Busler and Alexandra Ecker traded kills for a 17-17 score. CSUB called upon Grasso who provided the lead with a kill. A bad UTRGV set advanced the lead to two. Another Grasso kill put the CSUB point total at 20 and forced the Vaqueros into a timeout.  Alisha Watson's kill out of the timeout halted the 'Runner momentum.

Grasso earned the serve once again for CSUB with a kill but UTRGV sided out on an Ecker kill. Grasso and Dunbar-Lowe blocked Watson to put Grasso on serve. The Roadrunners went up the middle with Freeland and she put the ball down for a 23-19 lead. The Vaqueros called timeout again went up the middle, this time for Dunbar-Lowe who earned the kill. UTRGV staved off the first of five match points with a Watson kill. A CSUB attack error kept the match going at 24-21. A Mitrovic kill resulted in a CSUB timeout at 24-22. Dunbar-Lowe and Freeland blocked Mitrovic to secure the victory 25-22.

Grasso's 11th double-double was comprised of a match high 18 kills and 15 digs. Dunbar-Lowe tied her career high with 13 kills. Freeland would add 10 kills. Andrade charted a season best 46 assists and added 11 digs for her fourth double-double of the season. Rodriguez (16), Sophie Flemion (10), and Addy Peters (10) all put up double-digit digs for the Roadrunners.

“This was a huge win for us!” said CSUB director of volleyball Giovana Melo. “We were a little up and down throughout the match, but coming back from behind in the third set was huge. We hadn't done that coming into tonight. We are showing a lot passion right now!”

Watson paced the Vaqueros with 12 kills. Ragni Steen Knudsen registered her WAC leading 15th double-double of the year with 10 kills and 12 digs. Mitrovic had 10 kills.

The Roadrunners (8-13, 5-3 WAC) head to WAC leader, NM State (19-5, 9-0 WAC), Saturday for a 1 p.m. (MT) start.

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