UTEP Volleyball Falls to WKU in Five-Set Battle 

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- In a high-energy showdown at Club Memorial, UTEP Volleyball pushed WKU to the limit in a five-set clash, ultimately falling 3-2 (22-25, 25-23, 22-25, 27-25, 8-15) on Saturday afternoon.

UTEP drops to 20-4 (10-2 Conference USA) while WKU improves to 19-6 (12-0 CUSA).     

MATCH SUMMARY          
WKU narrowly claimed the first set 25-22, despite UTEP's strong blocking and powerful kills from Uskokovic, Weaver, and Lovesee. UTEP bounced back in the second set, riding a wave of kills and critical blocks to a 25-23 win, leveling the match at 1-1. WKU regained momentum in the third, pulling away for another 25-22 win, but UTEP responded with grit, overcoming a significant deficit in the fourth set to win 27-25 after a pivotal challenge. In the decisive fifth set, WKU surged ahead early, ultimately winning 15-8 to take the match 3-2.  

LEADERBOARD             

• Kaya Weaver led the offensive charge with 15 kills, hitting an impressive .480 and finishing with a team-high 20.0 points.  
• Ema Uskokovic and Torrance Lovesee added strong support, contributing 12 and 11 kills, respectively.  
• The Miners’ playmakers, Kalia Kohler and Mattie Gantt, shared the load totaling 52 assists for the match, while Gantt also delivered two aces.  
• Alyssa Sianez anchored the defense with 23 digs, and Lovesee added 12 digs to earn a double-double.  
• Weaver led at the net as well, racking up six blocks (two solo, four assisted).

SPLIT BOX            
UTEP held the statistical advantage in kills service aces (7-4), and blocks (14-9), but were out hit in kills (60-69).  

SET-BY-SET          
ONE | UTEP kicked off the first set with a strong offensive presence, highlighted by early kills from Uskokovic, Weaver, and Lovesee. The teams traded points back and forth until a series of kills and a critical ace by Gantt put UTEP up 14-10. WKU, however, responded with a scoring run that evened the score, forcing UTEP to call a timeout at 15-17. The Miners’ defense stepped up with blocks by Braziel, Washington, and Weaver, but despite their resilience, WKU edged ahead. UTEP managed to narrow the gap with a late ace by Martindale and a kill by Lovesee, but WKU held on to close the set 25-22.

TWO | UTEP came out firing in the second set with a 3-0 run powered by kills from Weaver and Pustahija. Consistent offense, coupled with an ace by Weaver and blocks from Uskokovic and Weaver, helped UTEP maintain a lead despite a WKU challenge overturning a point. UTEP kept its momentum through powerful blocks by Pustahija, Weaver, Lovesee, and Washington. Tied late in the set, a critical ace by Kohler and a kill by Weaver forced WKU to call a timeout at 23-22. Uskokovic’s ace pushed the set to match point, and Pustahija sealed it with a final kill, securing the set for UTEP 25-23 and leveling the match at 1-1.

THREE | WKU began the third set with a strong 3-0 lead, but UTEP quickly recovered, thanks to a kill by Uskokovic that tied the score at 3-3. Despite persistent offensive efforts and kills by Lovesee, Pustahija, and Perry, UTEP fell behind as WKU’s defense held firm. Down by five, UTEP called a timeout at 12-17, hoping to regroup. Late kills by Weaver and Lovesee helped narrow the gap, but WKU held steady to claim the set 25-22. 

FOUR | The fourth set saw UTEP rally to stay in the match, despite WKU’s initial 8-3 advantage. UTEP’s defense, led by blocking efforts from Pustahija, Crowe, and Lovesee, slowly chipped away at WKU’s lead. A series of successful blocks tied the score at 19-19, and UTEP kept the pressure with kills from Uskokovic and Weaver. A successful challenge tied the set 22-22, with UTEP capitalizing on a WKU error to gain set point. A final ace from Gantt clinched the set 27-25, pushing the match to a fifth set. 

FIVE | The deciding set was tense, with the teams matching points early on. UTEP struggled to find a rhythm against WKU’s offense, which quickly pulled ahead 6-3. Timeout breaks allowed UTEP to regroup, but WKU held the upper hand. Despite a late kill by Braziel and Uskokovic, WKU’s consistent scoring ultimately sealed the set at 15-8, and the match ended with WKU prevailing 3-2.

“I’m tired of ‘being close,’ head coach Ben Wallis said. “We’ve been close for a few years now, and the difference today was that WKU hit the ball harder in the fifth set; they went up higher and grittier. I’m proud of how my team played in the fourth set—though they could have fallen apart, their comeback was miraculous. However, at some point, this program and the players need to take control of what they want against that team. It’s not a rivalry yet; they came into our gym prepared to win. I’m disappointed in how we battled in the fifth, and we just didn’t get physical until we started to build momentum. I need more from some of these players. Emotionally, I’m disappointed in how a few responded to key moments; it wasn’t good enough. The best part of this learning process is that we lost two tough battles at home, and moments like these are preparing us for what’s coming in November.” 

UP NEXT              
The Miners will host Middle Tennessee at Club Memorial on October 31 and November 1, with each match set to begin at 6 PM.