The Dustdevil volleyball team hosted the Border Olympic Tournament on Sept. 5 and 6 at the Kinesiology & Convocation Building. Border Olympics is a chartered non-profit organization that took off in 1932 during Laredo’s Washington Birthday Celebration.”Partnering with Border Olympics is a great idea; it [Border Olympics] has a rich history with Laredo and its community,” said Athletic director Dr. Debbie Snell.This is the first time the university partners with a local organization such as the Border Olympics.”Not only is it a part of NCAA Division II strategic platform, but it is also an exciting showcase,” said Snell.The teams invited to the tournament were UT-Brownsville (UTB), Tarleton, and North Dakota.Action started Friday at 11 a.m. when NCAA Division I, North Dakota, faced Tarleton University. North Dakota defeated Tarleton in four games: 25-20, 25-19, 12-25, 25-20.The Lady Dustdevils took the court at 1 p.m. and played against UTB. They swept the Scorpions in three straight games. The final score was 25-18, 25-23, 25-19.Nicole Gipson, a senior, led the Dustdevils with 12 kills while teammate Alex Montemayor contributed 9 kills and 12 digs.Later that day, the Dustdevils faced North Dakota and were defeated in three games: 25-15, 25-8, 25-22.”We started off strong, but we have problems finishing the game,” said libero Madison Mojica.After the first day of tournament play, North Dakota led with a 2-0 record. The Dustdevils and Tarleton followed with one win and one loss each, and UTB stood at 0-2.Day two of the competition started off with North Dakota defeating UTB, thus securing their first place finish.The Dustdevils played Tarleton at noon on Saturday with hopes of placing second.The team lost in three games with a final score of 25-13, 25-13, 25-20.”I was excited; a couple of better passes, and we could’ve caught up,” said Tracy Johnson, a senior Communication major watching the game.Freshmen Gabriela Gutierrez had 21 assists and five digs while Isela Flores had a team high of 18 digs.Gutierrez is enjoying the university’s high level of competition.”The levels are different. It’s definitely more challenging, and I’m having a lot of fun,” said Gutierrez.The Dustdevils finished the tournament in third place with a 1-2 record.”We were inconsistent, but we did show a lot of promise,” said Head coach Wendy McManus.The Dustdevils hit the road for conference play on Sept. 18 where they will face UT-Permian Basin. They are also looking forward to making the Border Olympics a tradition.”This [Border Olympics] will help promote volleyball in South Texas; bringing teams from other parts of the country will help the community and students understand and enjoy the sport,” said McManus.