UTB-TSC Capsules: After three big wins, Scorpions jump to No. 2
The Tachikara-NAIA volleyball coaches top 25 poll underwent a big change Tuesday, thanks to the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College Scorpions.
UTB-TSC is the new No. 2 team after knocking off three top 10 teams last week in a road trip to southern California, the NAIA announced Tuesday. The Scorpions even picked up four of a possible 24 first-place votes.
Undefeated Lee (Tenn.) takes over as the top-ranked team, receiving 18 of the possible 24 first-place votes and 678 points. The spot that had been protected by Fresno Pacific (Calif.) for 43 straight weeks has been passed on to a new No. 1.
UTB-TSC follows with four first-place votes and 662 points.
Fresno Pacific dropped to No. 3 and received two first-place votes for 645 points. Northwestern (Iowa) remains unscathed and at the No. 4 position with 614 points, and bouncing into the top five this week is California Baptist with 587 points.
Lee is 31-0 and 9-0 in the Southern States Athletic Conference. The Scorpions’ only loss came to the Lady Flames in Savannah, Ga. in October.
The Scorpions, 29-1 and 12-0 in the Red River Athletic Conference, had three top-10 wins last week, including a victory over then-No. 1 Fresno Pacific.
The Scorpions started the road trip with a 3-1 win over then-No. 3 Biola (Calif.) on Oct. 28. In the NAIA Match of the Week, the Scorpions defeated Fresno Pacific 3-2 in five sets. The upset victory snapped the Sunbirds’ 65-match winning streak. The Scorpions returned to the court six hours later for a 3-2 victory over then-No. 10 Concordia (Calif.).
No other team at UTB-TSC in the NAIA era has been ranked as high as the Scorpions. The Texas Southmost College Scorpions finished as the No. 2 team in the National Junior College Athletic Association in the 1988 and 1991 volleyball national tournaments.
UTB-TSC ends the regular season with three road matches Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. The Scorpions are the No. 1 seed for the RRAC Tournament on Nov. 13 and 14 in Fort Worth.
The news of the No. 2 national ranking came just hours after Scorpion setter Tamires Ferreira was named NAIA National Player of the Week.
Ferreira earns NAIA national honor
Setter Tamires Ferreira of No. 2 University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College has been named NAIA Volleyball National Player of the Week, the national office announced Tuesday.
Ferreira was chosen out of a pool of conference player of the week selections among 26 conference/independent/unaffiliated groupings.
"I’m so proud of Tamires," Scorpions coach Todd Lowery said. "She has come a long way from the beginning of the year. Her dedication and hard work is paying off. She adapts well and most important of all she is a great team player. Our team is going to achieve great things if she keeps leading the way."
The fifth-ranked Scorpions came up with three big wins on the road, facing three of Golden State Athletic Conference squads ranked in the top 10.
Ferreira contributed 35 assists, nine digs, eight kills and two service aces en route to the Scorpions’ 19-25, 25-19, 25-21, 25-22 win over No. 3 Biola (Calif.) on Oct. 28.
In the NAIA Match of the Week on Oct. 29, Ferreira dished out another 35 assists, 16 digs and assisted six blocks, taking down No. 1 Fresno Pacific (Calif.) in five sets, 25-21, 27-25, 14-25, 19-25, 15-9.
Only six hours after helping the Scorpions break Fresno Pacific’s 65-match winning streak, she added 44 assists and 18 digs in a 25-22, 25-13, 18-25, 22-25, 15-9 victory over No. 10 Concordia (Calif.). The 5-6 freshman from Minas Gerais, Brazil, hit .296 and averaged 8.14 kills, 3.07 digs and 1.14 blocks for the week.
Ferreira is the second freshman, along with Oklahoma Baptist’s Kristin Pressley, to garner the NAIA volleyball player of the week honor this season.
UTB-TSC is 29-1 and 12-0 Red River Athletic Conference. The Scorpions finish the regular season with three road matches at Southwestern Assemblies of God, Bacone (Okla.) and Oklahoma Baptist on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, respectively.
Men’s Soccer
Nava receives RRAC offensive player of week award
No. 25 University of Texas ay Brownsville and Texas Southmost College senior forward Juan Nava was selected as a Red River Athletic Conference co-offensive player of the week.
Nava tied the school record with his 15th goal of the season as the Scorpions closed out the regular schedule with two conference wins last week.
He provided the difference in a 2-1 victory over Louisiana State University-Shreveport and booted in a goal to defeat Northwood 2-0. Nava has now scored at least one goal in eight consecutive games and tied the school record of 15 goals set by Fernando Mendoza in 2008.
UTB-TSC enters the RRAC tournament as the top seed after a perfect 9-0 conference record and a 13-3-1 mark on the season. The Scorpions will play at 7 p.m. Friday against the winner of an opening-round game Thursday.
Pedro Zamarripa of Huston-Tillotson shared the award with Nava.
