UTEP Volleyball falls to UTSA in straight sets

The UTEP volleyball team fell in three sets (21-25, 20-25, 13-25) to UTSA in Memorial Gym on Sunday.

Talia Jones led the Miners attack with eight kills, two block assists and 4 digs. Junior setter, Lindsey Larson, registered 17 assists while adding 10 digs, three block assists and three kills. Larson has now registered 12 double-doubles in 2015.

UTEP (7-13, 1-5 C-USA) totaled 24 kills, 51 digs, 22 assists and 11 team blocks, but it was not enough as UTSA hammered 50 kills, 59 digs, 48 assists and 10 team blocks to outlast the Miners.

“We blocked and defended well at the very beginning. They made some adjustments and we did not come back with a counter-adjustment so we didn’t do well,” head coach Holly Watts said.

Both teams battled for control of the first frame as the set saw 10 ties and five lead changes. With the score tied at 11, the Roadrunners picked up the pace with a 7-1 run to make it 18-12. The Miners fought back with a 6-2 run of their own making it 20-18, but it was not enough as UTSA closed out the set 25-21.

The Miners stormed out in the second frame with a 7-1 lead forcing UTSA to take its first timeout. The roadrunners responded with a 6-1 run of their own making the score 8-7. Both teams fought point for point but UTSA claimed the second set 25-20 after a 5-0 run.

UTEP got off to a slow start in the third set as UTSA took a 20-7 lead. The Miners were unable to keep up and one last kill by Dajana Boskovic gave the Roadrunners a 25-13 win in the third set.

“We are going to work on the chemistry as we continue to use most of the same people, but with a different mentality,” said Watts.

The Miners will take on Marshall on Friday at 6 p.m. (MT) and Rice on Sunday at 1 p.m. (MT) in Memorial Gym.