UTEP Volleyball Completes Perfect Conference Opening Weekend with 3-0 Sweep Over FIU

MIAMI, Florida (KVIA) -- UTEP Volleyball (12-2, 2-0 Conference USA) capped off its conference opening weekend with an impressive performance on Saturday morning, delivering a second consecutive 3-0 (25-22, 25-16, 25-12) sweep over FIU at the Ocean Bank Convocation Center.  

MATCH SUMMARY   
UTEP started strong in set one with early kills. Despite FIU’s attempts to rally and tie the score, UTEP consistently pulled ahead ultimately winning the set 25-22. Set two saw FIU jump to a quick 7-1 lead before UTEP responded with a timeout, followed by a remarkable 16-1 run and ultimately securing a 25-16 victory. In the final set, UTEP maintained control with significant contributions from Ema Uskokovic, Danika Washington, and Torrance Lovesee, aided by four aces from Alyssa Sianez during an 11-0 scoring run. With strong blocks from Kaya Weaver and Lauren Perry, along with offensive support from newcomers Landry Braziel and Hannah Crowe, UTEP closed out the set 25-12, completing the sweep. 

LEADERBOARD      

• Torrance Lovesee led the Miners with 10 kills while hitting .400.
• Setters Kalia Kohler and Mattie Gantt combined for 28 assists, directing the UTEP offense to a remarkable .344 hitting percentage.  
• Alyssa Sianez contributed four aces and led the team with 12 digs.  
• Kaya Weaver anchored the defense with an outstanding eight blocks and recorded a match-high 14.5 points.

SPLIT BOX      
UTEP held the all-around statistical advantage in kills (42-25), service aces (6-3), and blocks (9-7). UTEP registered a .344 hitting percentage and held FIU to a .057 H%. 

SET-BY-SET     
ONE | UTEP started strong, taking an early lead after kills by Kaya Weaver and Ema Uskokovic. FIU fought back, tying the game multiple times, but UTEP consistently pulled ahead with key plays, including kills from Lauren Perry, Danika Washington, and Torrance Lovesee. Weaver dominated with multiple kills, and the Miners' strong defense, including blocks by Lovesee and Weaver, helped maintain their advantage. FIU called a timeout at 19-16, and UTEP held off a late comeback attempt by FIU, eventually winning the set 25-22, with Weaver sealing the set win. 

TWO | FIU jumped out to a 7-1 lead before UTEP called a timeout. The Miners responded with a series of kills by Kaya Weaver and Sara Pustahija, closing the gap and tying the score at 8-8. UTEP then went on a dominant 16-1 run, with strong contributions from Lovesee, Weaver, and Uskokovic. FIU was unable to recover after UTEP's momentum shift, and the Miners cruised to a 25-16 win, taking a 2-0 lead in the match. 

THREE | UTEP controlled the momentum early, with key kills from Uskokovic, Washington, and Lovesee. UTEP extended their lead with several FIU errors and back-to-back aces from Alyssa Sianez, forcing FIU to call two timeouts in between UTEP’s 11-0 scoring run. UTEP continued to dominate with blocks from Kaya Weaver and Lauren Perry, and strong offensive plays from newcomers Landry Braziel and Hannah Crowe. FIU struggled to catch up, and UTEP closed out the set 25-12, completing the sweep and winning the match 3-0.

"I'm glad we were able to come away with a sweep," said Coach Ben Wallis. "We played a little sketchy in the first set, but FIU was trying hard, and we wore them out and pushed them around in the second and third sets. It was so fun to see our team cheer on our freshmen in the third set, and Pepa (Alyssa Sianez) went on a giant run, which was exciting to watch. Our team is just thrilled to play, and I'm glad to get two wins on the road—anytime you achieve that is a big deal. Considering the potential stress with travel, you never know what’s going to happen once we get to the airport, so I'm proud of my team for getting these two wins. This is a hungry team; we are very dangerous and deep. We played good ball and served aggressively all weekend. While we didn't pass great, that was more about FIU than anything else, yet we were still able to dominate and secure the sweeps. That speaks volumes about how dangerous we are. Coming home 2-0 is all we care about, and we’re fired up to get back to Club Memorial." 

UP NEXT         
The Miners return to Club Memorial Oct. 4-5 as they welcome Sam Houston State.