New Orleans, LA – The University of the Southwest traveled to Louisiana for the RRAC Women's Volleyball Tournament. As the sixth seed, the Lady Mustangs rolled into town to take on the third seed Texas A&M-Texarkana (TAMUT). USW pulled off the upset with a 3-1 match win and was prepared to take on the two-seed, and tournament host, Xavier (LA.). Unfortunately, Xavier (LA.) played tough and took down the Lady Mustangs 3-0, ending their run in the tournament. 
 
Game 1
Texarkana came out firing on all cylinders in the first set as they jumped on the Lady Mustangs early with a 7-2 lead. USW pulled it tighter halfway through, but the Eagles continued offensive pressure to a 25-18 win.
 
The Lady Mustangs were now the ones to get hot offensively early in the second set with an 8-4 lead. Texarkana stormed back and took the lead late from several USW attack errors. USW would not roll over as they finished the set on a 7-2 run to win 25-23
 
A back-and-forth affair was the best way to describe set three of the match. Neither team gave the other much breathing room, but ultimately, the Lady Mustangs were able to edge it out 27-25. 
 
With a set away from reaching the semi-finals, the Lady Mustangs continued to roll with a 5-0 start in set three. Texarkana would answer back with points of their own and would eventually take the lead 12-9. USW stayed persistent and added a 5-0 run late to make it 20-17. With their season hanging in the balance, the Eagles would not go away easily and tied the game at twenty-three. After matching each other point for point, USW would pull away and win the set 29-27, sending them to the tournament's semi-finals. 
 
Seniors Valeria Trevino and Alexia Esparza led in kills with fifteen and nine, respectively. Samantha Dreibelbis was a force on defense with five blocks in the contest, and Senior Gabriela Tapia aided on offense with twenty-two assists. Trevino added nineteen digs on the day, and Senior Kennedy McRuffin and Graduate Student Autumn Lopez each had eighteen. 
 
Game 2
The host team, Xavier (LA.), came out in the first set looking to end the Lady Mustangs' run in the RRAC tournament. The Gold Nuggets poured it on early, taking the first set with a decisive 25-11 win. 
 
Xavier continued their dominance in the second set with a 10-5 run to start out. They would make another run halfway through to make it 18-7, eventually taking the second set 25-12. 
 
The Lady Mustangs were looking to extend the match and their season when they entered the third set. USW played tight early when it stood at 8-8, but Xavier would go on a run that would make it 17-8 in their favor. They would not look back as they would go on to win 25-13, ending the Lady Mustangs' season. 
Esparza led with eight kills, and Trevino followed her with six of her own. Freshman A'Lon Clark led the team with eight assists, while Trevino and Lopez had seven and six digs, respectively. 
 
"We made history as the first #6 seed team since 2014 to pull the upset," said Coach Cass Smith. "Against all odds, we proved many wrong, including ourselves, and I think we can walk away with great pride. I'd like to thank the team for helping create this special family and for buying in. Thank you, seniors, for every sacrifice, every early morning, every heartbreak, and every success; most importantly, for the legacy, you all are leaving behind."

"To our supporters, we couldn't have done it without you all. Thank you!"

"We'll be back next season."