By Brooke Ortale | UTAMavs.com

ARLINGTON, Texas - The UT Arlington sports year was filled with upsets, championships, buzzer-beaters and memorable performances that will go down in Maverick history.

Leading up to the 2016-17 seasons beginning with UTA volleyball in August UTA Athletics is making sure we do not forget the accomplishments of the past season. Running from June through August, we will be counting down the top-15 moments and performances with "Best of 2015-16" features.

Moment No. 3: Softball Make History with Perfect Start

The UT Arlington softball program made history in 2016 with a 19-0 start to the season, marking the best start in UTA history.

The Maverick were one of two teams left undefeated through the first 19, the other being two-time defending World Series champion Florida. The streak is the fourth best of any sport at UTA, with the longest being a 25-game winning streak by women's volleyball in 1989 on the way to the NCAA Final Four.

The feat was recognized with votes in both the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top-25 poll and the USA Today/NFCA Division I Top-25 Coaches Poll.

During the team's historic run, the impact of the underclassmen was profound. Sophomore Sandra Mendoza recorded a hit in each of the first 17 games and reached base in the first 19. Her start helped place her on the NFCA All-Central Region Second Team and Sun Belt Conference First Team

Freshmen Krista Rude and Samantha Clakley wasted no time making their presence known. Rude Recorded hits in 17 of the first 19 games of her career, with a 13-game hitting streak during that time. Her quick start helped her garner third-team All-Central Region and second-team All-Sun Belt Conference. Clakley was dominant on the mound, winning the first nine decisions (all during the 19-0 start). Her presence helped her earn second-team All-Sun Belt Conference honors.