UTB-TSC Capsules: Scorpions to battle Texas College

For the fourth year in a row, the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College will face Texas College in the semifinals of the Red River Athletic Conference tournament.

The Scorpions and Steers meet at 7 p.m. Friday in the final match of four at REK Center Field. UTB-TSC had a bye during the opening-round while the Steers, the sixth-ranked team, upset third-seeded Louisiana State University-Shreveport Thursday, 1-0.

UTB-TSC, the three-time conference champion, is the top seed in the tournament. The Scorpions, 13-3-1 this year, have won 11 games a in a row.

In the other semifinal game Friday, second-seeded Huston-Tillotson meets the winner of the Thursday late game between Our Lady of the Lake and Northwood.

The tournament championship game is scheduled at 7 p.m. Saturday at REK Center Field.

UTB-TSC has never lost to a Red River Athletic Conference team since the inception of the men’s soccer program in 2007. By coincidence, the Scorpions have faced Texas College each year in the tournament semifinals.

The conference champion qualifies to participate in the opening round of the NAIA national championships on Nov. 20.

Seven Scorpions players make RRAC all-conference first team

Seven of the 12 players who made the 2010 Red River Athletic Conference first team are Scorpions.

The University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College also claimed three special awards. Juan Nava was named offensive player of the year, Morten Benestad was named newcomer of the year, and Dan Balaguero was named coach of the year for the fourth straight year.

The Scorpions had two forwards, two midfielders, two defenders, and a goalkeeper make the first team.

Nava, a senior from Hidalgo who is in his third year with the Scorpions, led the conference in scoring with 15 goals. He is tied for the team record with Fernando Mendoza, who scored 15 goals in the 2008 season.

Joining him at the forward position is sophomore Mario Perez, a repeat all-conference performer who earned all-america honorable mention honors last year. Perez went to Brownsville Porter.

Midfielders Fredrick Ekvall and Steve Howard, and defenders Omar Apodaca and Rob Burger, were also named to the first team. Goalkeeper Juan Gamboa also earned first-team recognition for the third time in his four years as a Scorpions player.

Benestad was the only Scorpions player to make the second team.

Women’s Soccer

Scorpions to face Our Lady of the Lake

The University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College will face rival Our Lady of the Lake in the Red River Athletic Conference tournament semifinals at 5 p.m. today at REK Center Field.

The game is a rematch of the 2009 RRAC Tournament championship game, won by the defending champion Scorpions.

OLLU, the third-seeded team in the tournament, eliminated sixth-seeded Bacone College 5-1 on Friday. In the other opening-round game Thursday, fourth-seeded Texas Wesleyan eliminated fifth-seeded Louisiana State University-Shreveport 3-2.

The other tournament semifinal game Friday will match top-seeded Northwood against Texas Wesleyan at 1 p.m.

The semifinal winners meet for the conference championship at 5 p.m. Saturday.

UTB-TSC finished the regular season with a 12-3-2 record.

Four Scorpions Named to RRAC all-conference first team

Four members of the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College women's soccer team were named to the Red River Athletic Conference all-conference first team, two of which also received conference special honors.

Junior forward Verena Wonsikowski was named offensive player of the year, and senior defender Aliesha Cassie was named defensive player of the year.

Wonsikowski and Cassie were also named to the all-conference first team, joining teammates midfielder Helen Wagstaff and defender Abigail Perez. For Wagstaff, she was a repeat first-team selection.

Selected to the second team were forward Linette Cuvillier, midfielder Isadora Freitas, and goalkeeper Emily Michna.

Volleyball

No. 2 Scorpions win 30th match of season

WAXAHACHIE - No. 2 University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College rolled to a comfortable 3-0 victory over Southwestern Assemblies of God on Thursday night, 25-9, 25-8, 25-16 for the Scorpions' 30th win of the season.

In their first match as the new No. 2 NAIA team in the nation, the Scorpions crossed the 30-victory mark for the third time in the last four years. The 2007 team and 2009 teams, each of which reached the national tournament quarterfinals, finished their seasons at 36-9 and 34-3, respectively. UTB-TSC is 30-1.

In Red River Athletic Conference play, the Scorpions are 13-0. SAGU dropped to 16-15 and 7-5 in conference play.

The Scorpions have two road matches to end the regular season. Their final RRAC match of the season will be played at 7 p.m. Friday against Bacone College (4-25, 2-10) in Muskogee, Okla.

UTB-TSC ends the regular season with a non-conference match against Oklahoma Christian at 7 p.m. Saturday in Oklahoma City.

During Thursday's win, the Scorpions were not challenged by the Lady Lions. UTB-TSC finished with a .333 hitting percentage, with 39 kills on 84 attacks with 11 hitting errors.

Danica Markovic led the Scorpions with nine kills on 20 swings with two errors for a .350 hitting percentage. Ana Guerra had eight kills on14 swings with two errors for a .429 hitting percentage. Erica Chimak also had solid numbers, with seven kills on 14 swings with two errors for a .357 hitting percentage.

Scorpions setter Tamires Ferreira, who received NAIA national player of the week honors, had 28 assists to go with six kills.

Gregner Gotay-Quinones led the defense with 13 digs, while Paula Barros added 12.  Barros and Chimak had four aces each as part of the Scorpions' 10 total.

UTB-TSC had six team blocks. Guerra led the way with one solo and two assisted blocks.