UTEP Navigates Rough Waters to Topple Islanders in Five-Set Win 

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- UTEP Volleyball (9-2) edged Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in a thrilling five-set battle, 3-2, on day two of the Southwest Showdown on Saturday afternoon at Memorial Gym. After a back-and-forth contest, the Miners surged in the final set to secure the victory, capping off a resilient performance that saw them rally from a 2-1 deficit to win the match. 

MATCH SUMMARY 
UTEP and A&M-Corpus Christi battled in a five-set thriller, with each team exchanging momentum throughout the match. UTEP took the first set 25-23, but AMCC bounced back with a dominant 25-13 win in the second. After dropping the third set 23-25, UTEP rallied with a commanding 25-16 victory in the fourth to force a deciding set. In the final set, UTEP secured the win with strong kills and blocking, finishing 15-10 to claim a hard-fought 3-2 match victory. 

LEADERBOARD  

• UTEP saw strong performances from several players in their match, with three Miners reaching double-digit kills. Ema Uskokovic led the team with 13 kills, while Torrance Lovesee and Kaya Weaver each added 10 kills, with Weaver hitting .400 for the day.  
• Kalia Kohler (27 assists) and Mattie Gantt (15 assists) combined for a total of 42 assists. 
• Uskokovic also contributed 3 service aces.  
• On defense, Alyssa Sianez recorded a team-high 14 digs, and Uskokovic earned a double-double with 12 digs. Kohler also notched a double-double with 10 digs.  
• Weaver made her presence felt at the net with 5 blocks. 
• Uskokovic led all players with a match-high 17.5 points. 

SPLIT BOX   
UTEP held the statistical advantage in kills (56-52) and service aces (8-5), but were out blocked, 13-12.  

SET-BY-SET  
ONE | UTEP and AMCC started the match with a back-and-forth exchange of points, with key contributions from Torrance Lovesee, Ema Uskokovic, and Kaya Weaver. The Miners capitalized on A&M-Corpus Christi errors and several crucial kills. Uskokovic sparked momentum with two aces, followed by strong blocking from Danika Washington and Landry Braziel. The first set remained tight until UTEP took the lead after a media timeout. A block from Uskokovic brought the score to 20-19 before AMCC rallied back. However, with kills from Washington and timely errors from AMCC, UTEP closed out the set, 25-23, taking a 1-0 lead in the match. 

TWO | A&M-Corpus Christi came out strong in the second set, quickly building a 3-0 lead. Despite kills from Uskokovic, Lovesee, and Weaver, UTEP struggled to close the gap, and AMCC's offense continued to surge. The Miners called for two timeouts, but they couldn't stop the opposition’s run. Uskokovic, Braziel, and Washington made efforts to respond with kills, but AMCC maintained control throughout the set. The Miners fell 13-25, allowing AMCC to even the match at 1-1. 

THREE | UTEP started with a strong serve from Kalia Kohler for an ace, but AMCC responded with a quick lead. Sara Pustahija and Uskokovic kept the Miners in contention with several well-placed kills, but AMCC's consistent play pushed them ahead. Despite a media timeout and several AMCC errors, UTEP trailed. The Miners made a late push with blocks from Braziel and Weaver, and Lovesee added two late kills to close the gap, but AMCC held on for the set victory, 23-25, giving them a 2-1 lead in the match. 

FOUR | UTEP needed a win in set four to extend the match, and they came out swinging. Early kills by Pustahija, Uskokovic, and Washington, paired with a key ace by Lovesee, helped the Miners build a strong lead. Weaver and Lovesee combined for critical blocks and kills that further increased the Miners' advantage, and UTEP surged ahead with a 5-point run to push the score to 20-15. A series of Islander errors sealed the deal as UTEP dominated the latter part of the set to win 25-16, tying the match at 2-2. 

FIVE | In the decisive fifth set, UTEP started aggressively, fueled by a kill from Pustahija and a block from Weaver. Key kills from Uskokovic, Washington, and Lauren Perry propelled the Miners to an 8-6 lead at the media timeout. A second red card issued to the AMCC head coach, followed by an ace from Ava Martindale, extended UTEP's advantage. With kills from Lovesee and Weaver, the Miners remained in control. After a timeout, UTEP completed their comeback with a final kill from Uskokovic, taking the set 15-10 and the match 3-2, securing a thrilling victory. 

Coach Ben Wallis expressed his pride in UTEP’s resilience after their hard-fought win against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. "We really had to dig deep into our emotional tank," Wallis said. "All of our blockers decided they were going to impose their will at the net. TAMUCC isn’t known for being a blocking team, but they had a great plan against us today, and we were a bit stubborn at first. From the players on the bench to those on the floor, we made the decision that we weren’t going to lose. I’m proud of my team for responding to good college volleyball and making the emotional and physical adjustments we needed. Some of our best players didn’t have their best day, but holy smokes, we found a way to get better, and our setters did a great job. Alyssa Sianez was fantastic at giving us opportunities, and it truly was a team effort — from the bench to the crowd. The crowd was spectacular, and once we gave them something to cheer about, they really helped us with the home-court advantage." 

UP NEXT  
UTEP will wrap up non-conference play in the Southwest Showdown on Sunday, Sep. 22, as the Miners go up against Texas State at 12pm MDT.