FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – On Friday, UTSA Volleyball hit the floor for its first match of the 2026 regular season, doing so against UT Arlington from Arkansas’ Barnhill Arena. The Roadrunners dropped a close first frame before a second-set avalanche knotted things up at one all. The Roadrunners’ momentum was short-lived as UTA pulled away in the final two stanzas, taking both sides’ opening contest of the fall by a 3-1 margin.
Set-by-set: UTSA loses 1-3 (23-25, 25-13, 20-25, 12-25)
FIRST SET
UTSA’s first kill of 2026 belonged to middle blocker Makinsey Jones before fellow transfer and starting setter Valeria Ortiz found Sydney Bryant for her first collegiate termination. UTA quickly built a six-point cushion before Ledisi Kpea made her presence felt with a pair of kills to draw back within two. Jones later notched a block and a kill amid a 3-0 spurt that forced a timeout from the Mavericks up 18-17. A pair of ties at 20 and 22 each came courtesy of UTA errors, but the Navy & Orange came up just short at 25-23.
SECOND SET
Back-to-back aces from Megan Hawkins highlighted an early 5-1 burst for the Roadrunners before UTA drew back even at 10 points apiece. From there, a trio of blocks sparked a 12-1 run that also saw Ally Tribe notch three kills and an ace to swarm ahead 22-11. Giada Obregon landed her side’s fourth ace of the frame before a Maverick service error sealed a dominant showing at 25-13.
THIRD SET
Three quick Sydney Bryant kills were enough to force a 5-5 deadlock before UTA ripped off a run of its own. Two Carol Price-Torok stoppages later, the Mavericks had pulled ahead 22-11 before sending Megan Hawkins to the service line. Another pair of aces from the junior bookended a six-point swing for the ‘Runners, but the comeback effort came up short at 25-20.
FOURTH SET
Just nine kills and eight digs marked UTSA’s fewest in any stanza on Friday as the group hit .107. An 11-3 run to open things up from UTA set the tone as the Mavericks never looked back. Bryant and Kpea combined for seven kills, but Tania Schatow’s squad secured a four-set victory at 25-12.
NUMBERS OF NOTE
- In her first match as a ‘Runner, Ledisi Kpea paced the squad with both 13 kills and a .346 hitting percentage.
- The Kansas City transfer also poured in five blocks and a dig against UTA.
- Sydney Bryant was the lone other Roadrunner to surpass double digits in kills, posting 11 to go with a pair of blocks.
- Valeria Ortiz got the start at setter for UTSA, racking up 25 assists and 10 digs for her side’s first double-double of the season.
- Sydney Black and Alyssa Manitzas (libero) each earned a starting spot in the back row on Friday, combining for 18 digs in the loss.
- Black’s team-high 12 digs easily surpassed her previous career high of five, which she set versus Washington while at Colorado State a year ago.
- In addition to 12 assists and two digs, Megan Hawkins established a new individual best with four aces, clearing a high of three she had set six times prior.
- Both Raegan Ramirez and Sydney Bryant made their collegiate debuts on Friday after redshirting the 2025 campaign with UTSA and Vanderbilt, respectively.
UP NEXT
On Saturday, UTSA will square off with SIU Edwardsville in another neutral match. The Cougars (0-1) fell in straight sets to the hosting Razorbacks on Friday night. After taking on SIUE, UTSA will turn to Arkansas on Sunday afternoon. All the action will be available to follow via utsa.statbroadcast.com.
For complete coverage of UTSA Volleyball during the 2026 season, visit goutsa.com. On social media, follow the Roadrunners on Twitter/X (@UTSAvolleyball), Instagram (utsa_vb) and Facebook (UTSA Volleyball).
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