Built for This: UTRGV Volleyball’s Tough Start May Be Paying Off at the Right Time

A 6-7 record usually doesn’t scream defending conference champion.

For UTRGV volleyball, though, the record isn’t telling the whole story.

The Vaqueros weren’t dominant throughout nonconference play. There were inconsistent offensive performances, five-set losses and stretches when a team replacing important pieces from last year’s Southland championship roster looked like exactly that — a team still figuring itself out.

But head coach Todd Lowery wanted his team challenged.

UTRGV played 11 of its first 12 matches away from the UTRGV Fieldhouse against a schedule that included West Virginia, Texas Tech, UTEP, Texas State and New Mexico State. Lowery emphasized before the season that the bigger goal was growth and preparing UTRGV for the matches that would eventually determine another Southland championship.

Those matches are here.

And the Vaqueros are starting to look different.

UTRGV has won three straight, including back-to-back sweeps to open Southland play. The Vaqueros are 2-0 in conference and haven’t dropped a Southland set.

The streak started with a five-set comeback against New Mexico State. UTRGV then hit a season-best .322 while sweeping McNeese before returning home and winning a completely different way against Nicholls, holding the Colonels to .076 hitting in another sweep.

Three wins. Three different types of wins.

And two players have become increasingly important to everything UTRGV is doing.

Ema Petkovic Has Become a Go-To Weapon

Ema Petkovic isn’t simply having a nice first season at UTRGV.

She’s becoming one of the players this offense can be built around.

The UC Santa Barbara transfer leads UTRGV with 156 kills, 3.32 kills per set and 202 points through 13 matches. She’s been even more dangerous from the service line, recording 35 aces and entering the Nicholls match among the national leaders in the category.

And this isn’t a one-week surge.

Petkovic had a career-high 19 kills against Bradley and 18 against Texas Tech before producing when UTRGV needed her entering conference play.

She recorded 13 kills and three aces against New Mexico State, eight kills and three aces against McNeese and led UTRGV with 13 kills against Nicholls.

That’s 34 kills during the three-match winning streak.

Her emergence also changes how opponents can defend UTRGV.

Martina Franco remains one of the Vaqueros’ most dangerous attackers and has 149 kills this season, including a 20-kill performance against New Mexico State. Teams can’t simply focus on Franco anymore.

Petkovic has made sure of that.

Lana Rnjak Is Taking Control

Maybe the most impressive development, though, is happening at setter.

Freshman Lana Rnjak entered the season competing with senior transfer Agata Makowska for one of the most important jobs on the floor.

She earned it.

Now she’s running the offense of the defending Southland champions.

Rnjak has started all 13 matches and recorded 409 assists, averaging 8.70 per set. She earned Southland Setter of the Week honors early in September and has continued progressing.

She set career highs with 44 assists and 16 digs against Bradley. She added 36 assists and 16 digs against New Mexico State, then distributed 31 assists in only three sets as UTRGV hit .322 against McNeese.

Against Nicholls, she recorded another double-double with 27 assists and 12 digs.

That’s 94 assists during UTRGV’s three-match winning streak.

But the most encouraging part isn’t simply the total.

Rnjak is learning how to use a roster that gives her options.

Petkovic can terminate from the right. Franco remains dangerous outside. Julianna Bryant provides an efficient option through the middle. Aaliyah Snead gives UTRGV another physical presence.

For a freshman setter, that’s a lot to manage.

There will still be growing pains, but UTRGV isn’t asking Rnjak to simply survive her first college season.

She’s running the offense.

And she’s looking increasingly comfortable doing it.

Bryant and Nani Keep Delivering

While Petkovic and Rnjak have emerged as two of the biggest stories, UTRGV continues getting important production from familiar places.

Bryant has quietly become UTRGV’s most efficient regular attacker, recording 92 kills while hitting .285. The Harlingen High alum had six blocks against New Mexico State, went a perfect 8-for-8 attacking against McNeese and added four blocks against Nicholls.

Then there’s Celianiz “Nani” Cabranes.

The two-time All-Conference libero continues anchoring the back row, recording 12 digs against McNeese and a match-high 14 against Nicholls.

Her impact is bigger than a dig total. With new pieces occupying major roles around her, Nani provides experience, stability and the first contact that gives Rnjak a chance to run the offense effectively.

Pressure From the Service Line

UTRGV’s serving has become another weapon.

The Vaqueros have 90 aces through 47 sets this season, including 26 during the current three-match winning streak.

Petkovic leads the team with 35, but the pressure is coming from throughout the rotation. Carmina Tijerina delivered five aces against Nicholls, Makowska had three against McNeese and Cabranes had three against New Mexico State.

Not every tough serve ends with an ace. Forcing a poor first contact can take an opponent out of system and make its offense more predictable.

UTRGV is doing plenty of both.

The Record Needs Context

None of this erases UTRGV’s early struggles.

The Vaqueros hit .076 against UMBC, .103 against Texas Tech and .059 against Portland State. Their .190 season hitting percentage still leaves plenty of room for improvement.

But there’s an interesting comparison.

Through 13 matches last season, the eventual Southland champion Vaqueros were also 6-7.

That team was 1-1 in conference play.

This one is 2-0.

That doesn’t mean another championship is coming. Last year’s team eventually produced a program-record 16-match winning streak, something that shouldn’t be treated as inevitable.

It does provide perspective.

UTRGV spent most of the first month away from home, challenged itself against a difficult schedule and worked through the growing pains of putting new players in major roles.

Now Petkovic has become UTRGV’s leading scorer. Rnjak is taking control of the offense as a freshman. Bryant continues producing efficiently in the middle. Nani remains the anchor of the back row. Franco is still capable of taking over a match.

And UTRGV is finding different ways to win.

The Vaqueros survived five sets against New Mexico State, overwhelmed McNeese offensively and leaned on their defense against Nicholls.

Now comes another test.

UTRGV hosts UIW on Thursday with both teams entering the week 2-0 in Southland play before HCU visits the Fieldhouse on Saturday.

It’s still early. Two conference wins don’t win a championship.

But Lowery wanted the early schedule to challenge this team and prepare it for the matches that matter most.

Those matches have arrived.

And UTRGV looks increasingly ready for them.