Miners Grab Straight Sets Win Over FIU
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- In front of a lively Saturday night crowd inside Memorial Gym, UTEP volleyball overpowered FIU to earn their sixth sweep of the season holding the Panthers below 20 points in each set, 3-0 (25-18, 25-18, 25-19).
The Miners improve to 12-6 overall and 4-3 in Conference USA play while FIU drops to 9-11 (5-2 CUSA).
"We executed well and were really balanced today," head coach Ben Wallis said. "FIU is big and physical and so tonight was a good win, good home win for my team. I'm proud of our cleanliness and also our physicality. I mean, we were really bringing some thunder out there. I was impressed."
Marian Ovalle and Sakira LaCour paced the Miners notching nine kills each. Kalia Kohler (19) and Mattie Gantt (14) combined for 33 assists. Danika Washington and Alyssa Sianez recorded match-highs for the defense with eight blocks and 11 digs, respectively.
UTEP's all-around performance held the statistical advantage in kills (43-28), hitting percentage (.398 - .141), aces (7-2) and total blocks (12-5).
SET ONE | UTEP controlled the first set, rapidly racking up double-digit points, 10-4. The Miners continued to extend the lead forcing an FIU timeout at 17-9. The Panthers drew up a 6-1 run to close in on UTEP, 19-14. UTEP's Marian Ovalle put down two more kills and a block for the Miners as Kalia Kohler stamped the set with an ace, 25-18.
SET TWO | The Panthers put up a fight in the second frame battling out seven tied scores, just to gain the lead and then lose it to the Miners just before the halfway point. As UTEP led 6-3, FIU ran up four unanswered points to shift as set leader at 7-6. An Ovalle kill and Kohler ace lifted the Miners back to the top, 10-9. UTEP went on a 5-0 scoring run heading in the 20's, 22-13, and a big block by Ovalle and Danika Washington wrapped up the set at 25-18 once again.
SET THREE | The Miners slammed down a whopping 17 kills in the final set. UTEP grabbed a 10-6 lead, however, the Panthers were hungry chasing down the Miners to knot the set at 10, 12, 14, and 15. Ovalle and Weaver put up four combined kills with Washington and LaCour putting up block No. 12 forcing FIU to sidebar, 20-17. Four straight kills pushed the Miners into set point. The Panthers utilized one last point on a UTEP error before LaCour put the match away, 25-19.
UP NEXT
UTEP will wrap up the weekend with FIU, Sunday, Oct. 8, at noon for a 'Pink Out' match inside Memorial Gym.
