UTEP volleyball outlasts San Jose State to secure road win

SAN JOSE, California - UTEP claimed its third Mountain West road victory of the season with a 3-1 win (25-21, 23-25, 25-20, 27-25) over San Jose State Thursday evening at Spartan Gym.

The Miners improved to 14-9 overall and 6-5 in league play with the triumph.

LEADERBOARD

Luvina Oguntimehin paced the Miners with 10 kills and a team-high 13.5 points, while Kalia Kohler directed the offense with a team-best 21 assists. Defensively, Lily-Rose Pichon recorded a team-high 12 digs, and Lauren Perry contributed two service aces.

At the net, Oguntimehin and Landry Braziel anchored UTEP's blocking effort with five total blocks apiece, including two solo blocks each, helping the Miners finish with 11 team blocks in the four-set victory.

SPLITBOX

UTEP held the edge in several key categories, finishing with advantages in service aces (6-5) and blocks (11-8). The Miners also turned in an efficient offensive performance, hitting .238 while limiting San Jose State to a .187 attacking percentage.

The Spartans posted slight advantages in kills (52-48), assists (51-41) and digs (53-42).

SET-BY-SET

ONE | UTEP opened the match by taking a tightly contested first set, 25-21. The Miners and Spartans traded points throughout the frame, with nine ties and multiple lead changes. UTEP broke through late, using kills from Ema Uskokovic and Luvina Oguntimehin to turn an 18-19 deficit into a 24-20 advantage before Lily-Rose Pichon capped the set with the winning point. The Miners hit .320 in the stanza while limiting San Jose State's comeback opportunities.

TWO | The Spartans answered in the second set, edging UTEP 25-23. The Miners built a five-point cushion at 20-15 and appeared poised to take a commanding match lead, but San Jose State rallied with a 9-3 run to close the frame. Despite UTEP recording 14 kills and hitting .300 in the set, the hosts erased the deficit and evened the match heading into intermission.

THREE | UTEP regained control in the third set with a convincing 25-20 victory. The Miners used a balanced attack and strong defensive play to build separation midway through the frame. Sydney Frazier provided an immediate spark after entering the lineup, while consecutive late kills by Oguntimehin helped seal the set. San Jose State was held to a .047 hitting percentage in the period as UTEP moved within one set of the match win.

FOUR | The fourth set delivered the night's most dramatic stretch. After UTEP led by as many as six points, the Spartans battled back and eventually pulled even at 22-all. The teams traded points down the stretch before the Miners closed the match on a scoring spurt. A block by Frazier gave UTEP match point, and after extending the set beyond regulation, the Miners secured the 27-25 victory to complete the 3-1 road triumph.

UP NEXT

The Miners and Spartans will meet again Friday, Oct. 30, at 7 p.m. MT to conclude the series. The match will be streamed live on MW+.