UTEP volleyball wins third straight Southwest Showdown title with win over UTRGV

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – UTEP volleyball are once again Southwest Showdown champions. The Miners captured the tournament title for the third consecutive year and remained perfect in the event’s all-time series at 9-0, defeating UTRGV, 3-2, Saturday morning at Dugan Wellness Center. With the victory, UTEP improves to 4-1 on the season, while the Vaqueros fall to 1-3.

LEADERBOARD

• Davis led UTEP with 16 kills while hitting an impressive .615 and added 19.0 points.
• Perry finished with 10 kills on a .313 hitting percentage and added a match-high four service aces.
• Kohler recorded 27 assists, while Bella Widmer contributed 10 digs.
• Oguntimehin finished with five total blocks.

SPLITBOX

The Miners finished with 55 kills, eight service aces and 13 total blocks while limiting UTRGV to a .182 hitting percentage. UTEP hit .206 for the match.

SET-BY-SET

ONE | The Vaqueros opened the match by jumping out to a 3-0 lead before the Miners answered with a 6-0 run, to go up 9-6. UTRGV regained momentum late in the set and pulled away to take the opening frame, 25-21. Davis led the Miners with six kills in the set, while UTEP registered five blocks.

TWO | UTEP responded in the second set, battling back from an 11-9 deficit and eventually taking control late. The Miners used three consecutive UTRGV errors to help erase a 19-16 deficit before Oguntimehin's solo block to come within one, 19-18. After the Vaqueros regained a 21-20 lead, UTEP closed the frame on a 5-1 run, capped by a Davis kill and blocks from Hannah Crowe and Landry Braziel, to win 25-23 and even the match at 1-1.

THREE | The Miners carried their momentum into the third set, turning a 14-11 deficit into a 25-21 victory. Perry sparked the comeback with three  consecutive kills after a 6-0 UTEP run that gave the Miners a 21-17 advantage. UTEP continued to control the set behind another kill from Davis and a block from Oguntimehin and Laila Amos before Oguntimehin finished the frame with her fifth kill of the set, giving UTEP a 2-1 match lead.

FOUR | UTRGV answered in the fourth, racing to an 11-4 advantage before UTEP began to chip away. The Miners used serveal kills and aces to pull within 13-12. UTEP eventually took a 16-15 lead, but the Vaqueros responded with a late push and secured the set, 25-20, forcing a deciding fifth frame.

FIVE | The Miners left no doubt in the final set. UTEP built a 5-2 advantage but the Vaqueros briefly tied the set at 6-6. UTEP answered with a 9-3 run to close the match. Uskokovic opened the decisive surge with back-to-back kills, followed by a Perry kill, a Crowe kill and a Crowe ace. UTRGV committed consecutive errors to give the Miners match point before UTEP closed out the championship, 15-9.

UP NEXT

UTEP returns to action next weekend when the Miners host the Borderland Classic from Sep. 10-13.