Oliver Leads Mustangs Volleyball With 13 Kills In 3-1 Loss To UTSA

AUSTIN, Texas (SMU) – The SMU volleyball team lost its opening match at the Texas Invitational 3-1 to UTSA Friday, despite double-doubles by Kelli Becerra and Dana Powell. Jessica Oliver led the Mustangs (4-6) with 13 kills, but UTSA (6-6) had a 13-8 advantage in blocks to take the victory.

In what proved to be the final set, each team had 10 kills, but the Roadrunners managed seven blocks to take the fourth set 25-18. Oliver led the Mustangs with three kills in the frame, and Sidney Stewart had eight of her team-high 24 digs in the fourth set.

After falling behind early in the match with a first-set loss, the Mustangs evened the match with a 25-20 win in the second set. SMU took advantage of a pair of key UTSA attack errors midway through the set, scoring four-straight points to take a 15-12 lead. The Roadrunners got within one point three times, but the Mustangs kept them from knotting up the set. Leading by two points late in the set, SMU out-scored UTSA 5-2 to take the 25-20 victory.

UTSA took control of the match with a 25-20 win in the third set, quickly erasing the momentum SMU gained after tying the match in the second. The Roadrunners took a 10-4 lead, forcing SMU head coach Lisa Seifert to call timeout. The Mustangs managed to cut the lead to three, but were unable to get any closer.

Becerra posted her team-leading sixth double-double of the season with 34 assists and 15 digs, while Powell scored her fifth double-double with 10 kills and 13 digs. Courtney Manning had four of SMU’s eight blocks to go with 10 kills.

SMU’s next match is against tournament host Texas, the eighth-ranked team in the AVCA Coaches’ Poll. The match is scheduled for Saturday at 11 a.m., and will air live on the Longhorn Network.

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