No tricks, all treats: UTEP’s efficiency sweeps Middle Tennessee on Halloween

EL PASO, Texas - Fueled by a season-high .442 attack percentage, UTEP Volleyball dominated Middle Tennessee in a thrilling Halloween-night showdown at Club Memorial, sweeping the Blue Raiders 3-0 (25-12, 25-23, 25-12).  

UTEP improves to 21-4 (11-2 Conference USA) while MTSU drops to 11-14 (7-6 CUSA).    

MATCH SUMMARY         
In the first set, the Miners jumped to an early lead, highlighted by Landry Braziel’s efficient kills and Kaya Weaver’s blocking at the net, securing a 25-12 win.

Set two saw a closer contest, but UTEP pulled ahead with key kills from Torrance Lovesee, Danika Washington, and Weaver, ultimately clinching it 25-23 with a late push.

In the final set, UTEP capitalized on MTSU’s errors while Ema Uskokovic and Washington kept the pressure on offensively, finishing 25-12.  

LEADERBOARD            

• Braziel powered the Miners’ attack with a team-high 10 kills on 14 errorless swings, achieving a stellar .714 hitting percentage.  
• At the net, Weaver made an impact with 4 blocks, including 2 solo stops.  
• Directing UTEP's offense, Kalia Kohler tallied 20 assists and Mattie Gantt added 18, steering the Miners to an impressive .442 team hitting percentage.  
• On defense, Alyssa Sianez held strong with 11 digs.  
• Uskokovic led all scorers with 11.0 points, while Braziel followed closely behind with 10.5.

SPLIT BOX            
UTEP held the all-around statistical advantage in kills (46-25), service aces (4-2), and blocks (5-4). UTEP registered a .442 hitting percentage and held MTSU to a .066 H%.   

NOTABLES
UTEP set a season-high with an impressive .442 attack percentage. 
Braziel’s .714 hitting percentage ties the fourth-best mark in program history for a three-set match. 

SET-BY-SET         
ONE | UTEP came out strong, seizing early momentum with a 4-0 run fueled by a kill from Braziel, an MTSU error, a kill from Uskokovic, and a block by Weaver. The Miners pushed their lead to 9-4 with contributions from Uskokovic and Weaver and several MTSU miscues. A kill by Washington and another from Weaver further extended the advantage to 11-5. UTEP kept up the pressure with a block from Weaver and Braziel, taking control at 15-7. After the media timeout, Braziel’s kill and an ace by Ava Martindale put UTEP up 20-9, and the Miners closed the set efficiently, with kills by Braziel and Luvina Oguntimehin securing a 25-12 victory to take a 1-0 lead in the match.

TWO | The second set opened with a back-and-forth exchange, with Braziel and Weaver registering early kills to maintain a narrow lead. UTEP fell behind 5-8 after an MTSU surge, prompting a timeout. Out of the break, Uskokovic, Lovesee, and Pustahija rallied with kills to level the score at 9-9. UTEP regained the lead at 10-9, forcing MTSU to regroup. Following a tight battle with several ties, Lovesee's timely kills and Kohler’s ace powered UTEP to a 19-17 lead. Despite MTSU’s efforts to keep it close, UTEP held strong with kills from Washington, Lovesee, and Weaver, clinching the set 25-23 with a decisive kill by Braziel, giving the Miners a 2-0 edge in the match. 

THREE | In the third set, UTEP capitalized on MTSU’s errors to jump out to a 4-0 lead, with kills from Braziel and Uskokovic. MTSU called an early timeout, but the Miners continued to extend their lead, with Braziel and Washington adding kills to make it 8-2. Washington and Uskokovic kept the momentum going, and by 12-4, the Miners were in command. UTEP’s blocking came through with stops from Weaver and Pustahija, while Lovesee’s kill pushed the score to 15-7. As MTSU struggled to close the gap, UTEP surged ahead with kills by Oguntimehin and an ace from Uskokovic, sealing the set 25-12 and completing a dominant 3-0 sweep over MTSU.

“We were really physical tonight, and it was great to see,” coach Ben Wallis said. “We knew Middle Tennessee would play hard and bring a lot of emotion, but we stayed clean and disciplined. They’re a tough team to face sometimes with how emotional they get, and they even changed their lineup in the second set, which worked for a while—but we adjusted and held them well below their season average, which was one of our goals. Defensively, we did a lot of good things; we outdug a solid defensive team and hitting .442 over three sets is pretty dang good. Overall, it was a really good effort from my team, and I’m very pleased with our offensive performance tonight.”

UP NEXT             
The Miners face the Blue Raiders again on Friday, November 1, at 6pm MDT at Club Memorial.