UTEP Volleyball Claims Borderland Invitational Crown with Gritty 3-1 Win Over SFA

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- UTEP Volleyball secured the Borderland Invitational title with a hard-fought 3-1 victory over Stephen F. Austin on Saturday at Memorial Gym. The win capped off a perfect 3-0 weekend, boosting UTEP’s overall record to 5-1.

UTEP battled through a tough four-set match against Stephen F. Austin, taking the first set 25-19 after a strong 5-0 closing run. The Miners dominated the second set with a 25-15 win, hitting over .400, but faltered in the third set as SFA capitalized on a late run to take it 25-20. UTEP regrouped in the fourth set, securing a 25-18 victory behind a powerful offensive performance and strong blocking to close out the match 3-1. 

LEADERBOARD 
Ema Uskokovic led the Miners with 16 kills, hitting .268, while Torrance Lovesee added 13 kills at a .360 clip and recorded a double-double with 15 digs. Kalia Kohler and Mattie Gantt combined for 52 assists, with Kalia also delivering 3 aces. Alyssa Sianez anchored the defense with 16 digs, while Kaya Weaver dominated at the net with 8 blocks.  

THE STATS 
UTEP held the all-round statistical advantage in kills (59-42), service aces (7-5), and blocks (15-5). UTEP posted a .297 hitting percentage and held SFA to just .111. UTEP hit over .400 in the first two sets and earned 81 of their 95 total points in the match, showcasing a well-rounded and efficient team effort.

SET-BT-SET
ONE | Stephen F. Austin jumped out to an early 8-4 lead, but UTEP responded with kills from Torrance Lovesee and Lauren Perry, helping the Miners pull ahead 13-10. The teams traded leads as SFA took a 17-16 advantage, forcing UTEP to call the first timeout of the match. The Miners then closed the set on a dominant 5-0 run, fueled by four kills and an ace, to take the opener 25-19. 

TWO | SFA once again grabbed an early 4-2 lead, but UTEP quickly answered with three straight points to take control. The set saw ties at 5-5 and 6-6, but UTEP surged ahead with a 4-0 run, forcing SFA to call a timeout. Out of the break, both teams traded single points, but UTEP maintained a five-point cushion at 17-12. As the Miners approached set point, Ema Uskokovic delivered a powerful kill to seal the 25-15 win, giving UTEP a 2-0 advantage in the match. 

THREE | UTEP started strong with a 5-1 lead, highlighted by a kill and an ace from Kaya Weaver. However, SFA fought back, consistently scoring two points for every UTEP point and eventually tying the set at 12-all. The battle for the lead continued until SFA went on a 3-0 run, forcing UTEP to take a timeout at 19-16. SFA never relinquished their lead, taking the set 25-20 and getting on the board.

FOUR | Looking to close out the match, UTEP came out firing with 7 kills, taking a 10-6 lead. Back-to-back blocks extended the lead to 13-7, prompting SFA to call a timeout. Ema Uskokovic contributed two kills and Mattie Gantt added an ace, pushing UTEP to a 19-11 advantage. SFA responded with a 6-1 run, closing the gap to 20-17, but UTEP finished strong with a 4-0 run. Kills by Lauren Perry and Torrance Lovesee, a solo block by Kaya Weaver, and a match-sealing ace by Kalia Kohler secured the 25-18 win and the match victory.

"It was tough, and Stephen F. Austin gave us everything they had," Coach Ben Wallis said. "We faltered a bit in the third set—some of the challenges got really long and threw off our rhythm because we were rolling, and it just got us out of sorts. SFA earned that set, but we came back strong, blocking six balls in the fourth, which shows the resilience of our team. We got a little complacent in the third, but after they earned their victory, we came right back out determined to take over. We served tough, blocked big, and even though we were running out of gas, we managed to get the victory. It’s been a hard-fought week against three good teams, and this was a great team victory over another NCAA participant and conference champion."

UP NEXT       
The Miners are back in action September 13-15 as they travel to Vermillion, South Dakota to participate in the South Dakota Classic.