UTEP Volleyball Falls to South Dakota in South Dakota Classic Finale
VERMILLION, South Dakota (KVIA) -- Despite strong performances from Ema Uskokovic and Danika Washington, who were both named to the All-Tournament Team, UTEP volleyball (7-2) fell 3-1 to South Dakota on Sunday afternoon in the final match of the South Dakota Classic. The Miners took the first set but were unable to hold off a determined South Dakota team in the following sets.
“We learned a lot about ourselves this weekend.” UTEP Head Coach Ben Wallis said. “We’re a very good team, but there are things we need to improve to be great by the end of the year. This felt like a mini-championship weekend, playing three tough teams in a row. We won two but faltered in the third against a strong team we knew would be a challenge.”
MATCH SUMMARY
UTEP started strong in the first set, using powerful kills and blocks to secure a 25-20 win. USD responded in the second set with a close 25-23 victory, despite UTEP's efforts to stay in the game. The third set saw USD dominate after a competitive start, pulling away to win 25-16. In the fourth set, UTEP tried to rally but couldn’t overcome USD's momentum, losing 25-17 as USD claimed the 3-1 match victory.
LEADERBOARD
UTEP was led by standout performances from several players in the match. Ema Uskokovic recorded a match-high 16 kills while hitting an impressive .371, with Torrance Lovesee contributing 10 kills. The Miners' offense was guided by setters Mattie Gantt (20) and Kalia Kohler (18), who combined for 38 assists, with Kohler also tallying 10 digs to earn a double-double. Defensively, Alyssa Sianez led with 14 digs, while Uskokovic and Danika Washington anchored the net with 4 blocks each. Uskokovic also led all players with a match-high 19.5 points.
SPLIT BOX
UTEP held the statistical advantage in kills (53-49) and service aces (4-3) but were out blocked (11-5). The Miners hit .212 while the Coyotes hit .304.
SET-BY-SET
ONE | In the first set, UTEP and USD traded early points, but UTEP found momentum with kills from Lovesee, Uskokovic, and Washington. A service ace by Weaver pushed UTEP ahead, but USD fought back to tie the game at 13-13. After a timeout by UTEP, USD briefly took the lead, but UTEP rallied with strong plays from Uskokovic and Perry. UTEP surged ahead with a string of kills and blocks, ultimately taking the set 25-20 after a decisive kill by Uskokovic.
TWO | Set two began with UTEP jumping ahead after an early error from USD. Uskokovic and Washington helped maintain the lead, but USD managed to close the gap and take the lead at 7-9. UTEP called a timeout, and despite efforts from Uskokovic and Weaver, USD pulled ahead in a tightly contested set. UTEP continued to battle, with key kills from Washington and Weaver, but USD managed to claim the set 25-23, tying the match at 1-1.
THREE | In the third set, UTEP started strong with a series of kills by Pustahija and Weaver, opening a 4-0 lead. USD responded, and after a tied game at 8-8, USD went on a run, pulling ahead 7-11. Despite UTEP’s efforts to recover with kills from Lovesee and Uskokovic, USD took control of the set, leading by a significant margin. A late service ace from Loera provided a spark, but USD closed out the set 25-16, taking a 2-1 lead in the match.
FOUR | The fourth set saw USD take an early lead, but UTEP responded with kills from Uskokovic, Lovesee, and Pustahija to keep the set competitive. However, USD maintained pressure, forcing UTEP into a timeout at 7-12. UTEP came back with blocks from Washington and Uskokovic, but USD extended their lead. Despite late kills from Braziel and a final block by Uskokovic and Washington, USD secured the set 25-17, winning the match 3-1.
“We got out of character in the second set after doing a lot of things right early on,” said Wallis. “USD is a really good team that competes hard and wins a lot at home. They forced us to get high-error and out of rhythm, which we haven’t done all season. We didn’t recover well, and they did a good job of slowing us down offensively. We’re a strong offensive team, but we faltered. Our blocking and serving weren’t up to the standard we’re capable of, and we lost because of it. I was proud of Danika [Washington] and Ema [Uskokovic]—they competed well throughout the match.
“I’m confident in this team, and the best remedy for a loss is to get back to work” Wallis said. “We’re excited to return to El Paso and play in front of our Memorial Maniacs.”
UP NEXTUTEP returns to action as it hosts the UTEP Southwest Showdown Sep. 20-22. The Miners welcome UTRGV, Texas State, and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Season ($85) and single-game tickets ($10) can be purchased through the Eisenberg Family Ticket Office by calling (915) 747-UTEP, emailing tickets@utep.edu, visiting www.UTEPMiners.com/Tickets or in person at 201 Glory Road (Brumbelow Building, UTEP campus) Monday thru Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Group tickets are also available for $5 (minimum of 10 tickets).
