UTEP Volleyball extend win streak to nine with win over LA Tech

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- UTEP Volleyball continued its dominant run through Conference USA, defeating Louisiana Tech 3–1 (25–19, 25–21, 27–29, 25–14) Saturday afternoon at Club Memorial. The Miners extended their win streak to nine matches and remained perfect in league play, improving to 18–2 overall and 8–0 in CUSA. Louisiana Tech fell to 7–15 and 0–8 in conference action. 

MATCH SUMMARY 

The Miners set the tone early with a 25–19 win in the opening frame, executing efficiently on both sides of the ball to build early momentum. They carried that rhythm into the second set, pulling away late for a 25–21 victory and a 2–0 lead. Louisiana Tech fought back in the third, capitalizing on extended rallies to steal a 29–27 decision and extend the match. UTEP quickly responded in the fourth, regaining control and closing out the afternoon with a decisive 25–14 win.  

LEADERBOARD 

• Three Miners finished with double-digit kills — Torrance Lovesee and Sara Pustahija tallied 13 each, while Luvina Oguntimehin added 11 on a match-best .625 hitting percentage.  
• Kalia Kohler (26 assists) and Mattie Gantt (20 assists) combined for 46, with Kohler leading all players with three service aces.  
• Four Miners reached double-digit digs: Sekita (17), Lovesee (17), Gantt (14), and Kohler (10).  
• Washington dominated defensively with four solo blocks.  
• Lovesee led the team with 17.5 points. 
• Three Miners posted double-doubles — Kohler (assists–digs), Lovesee (kills–digs), and Gantt (assists–digs). 

SPLIT BOX 

UTEP held statistical advantages across the board, outpacing Louisiana Tech in kills (60–36), assists (54–31), aces (7–3), digs (70–55), and blocks (11–10). UTEP registered a .219 hitting percentage and held the Bulldogs to a  .071 H%. 

SET-BY-SET 

ONE | UTEP started strong in the opening set, establishing early momentum with a kill by Pustahija and an ace from Kohler. The Miners’ offense clicked immediately, with multiple kills from Pustahija, Lovesee, and Washington fueling a dominant mid-set run. Lovesee’s back-to-back aces and a series of Louisiana Tech attack errors helped UTEP pull ahead 13–6. Despite a brief late push from the Bulldogs, UTEP maintained control through balanced play and solid blocking from Washington and Oguntimehin. A kill by Washington and a final Tech attack error sealed the 25–19 win for the Miners. 

TWO | UTEP carried its momentum into the second set, quickly building a 5–1 lead behind Lovesee’s sharp hitting and a service ace from Sekita. Kohler added consecutive aces, and the Miners’ front line dominated with strong blocking from Hannah Crowe and Washington. Lovesee continued her hot streak, notching multiple kills as UTEP extended the margin to 20–12. Although Louisiana Tech briefly rallied late in the set, the Miners’ offense remained steady, closing the frame 25–21 after kills by Braziel and Pustahija.  

THREE | LA Tech showed resilience in the third set, finding rhythm after a slow start. UTEP’s Pustahija and Washington kept the Miners competitive early, but Tech’s defense stiffened, and their attack capitalized on Miner errors to edge ahead 11–9. UTEP regrouped after a timeout, reclaiming a narrow lead with kills from Lovesee, Crowe, and Gantt, but LA Tech refused to back down. The set became a tense back-and-forth affair, featuring late kills from both sides and multiple extended rallies. Despite UTEP reaching set point first, LA Tech fought off multiple chances and eventually closed out the set 29–27, trimming the deficit to 2–1. 

FOUR | UTEP came out firing in the fourth set, jumping ahead 6–3 as LA Tech struggled with early attack errors. The Miners extended their advantage to 11–6 behind a string of points fueled by a Lovesee block and aggressive swings by Pustahija that kept the Bulldogs off balance. After a LA Tech timeout, UTEP continued to pour it on, using a 6–2 run to build a commanding 17–9 lead. UTEP closed the frame in dominant fashion with a 5–0 run to win 25–14. The convincing finish capped a balanced performance and secured the Miners’ ninth straight victory. 

Quote from Head Coach Ben Wallis: 
“We’re trying to reinvent ourselves a little bit at a time of year when most teams are just fine-tuning things. Because of our injuries, we’ve had to adjust lineups and find new ways to win — and that’s okay. We have the depth and talent to do it. It’s not always going to look perfect, but this group is resilient. They settled back in and executed when it mattered. Every team we face has pride, and Louisiana Tech played really hard this weekend. Sometimes wins aren’t pretty, but they all count the same. I’m proud of how our players stepped into new roles and found a way to get it done. This team believes in each other, and we’ll keep getting better every match.” 

UP NEXT 

UTEP will face its biggest weekend of the conference slate as it travels to Bowling Green, Kentucky, to take on Western Kentucky on October 24–25. Both teams enter the matchup undefeated in Conference USA play, making it a pivotal series for the top spot in the standings. Both matches will be streamed live on ESPN+.