EL PASO, Texas - (RV) UTEP volleyball swept the FIU Panthers, 3–0, Friday night at Club Memorial, snapping FIU's 10-match Conference USA win streak.
With the win, the Miners improve to 24–3 overall and 14–1 in Conference USA, while FIU drops to 18–10 overall and 12–3 in league play.
MATCH SUMMARY
UTEP executed a clean and disciplined performance from start to finish, opening the night with a steady 25–20 win in the first set behind strong serving pressure and consistent production at the net. The Miners carried that momentum into the second frame, using a pivotal mid-set scoring run and a series of momentum-shifting blocks to pull away for a 25–22 victory and a 2–0 match lead. In the third, UTEP built an early cushion through aggressive serving and a dominant blocking presence, forcing FIU into multiple timeouts. Although the Panthers made a late push, UTEP closed the door with another crucial block to take the set 25–23 and complete the 3–0 sweep.
LEADERBOARD
- Landry Braziel led the Miners with 11 kills while Sara Pustahija added 10, with both hitters finishing above .400—Braziel at .421 and Pustahija at .417.
- Setters Kalia Kohler and Mattie Gantt combined for 34 assists to guide UTEP to a .337 team hitting percentage, with Gantt also serving two of the squad's six aces.
- At the net, Hannah Crowe led the defensive effort with six blocks as UTEP recorded 13 total team blocks.
- Of the Miners' 75 points scored on the night, 60 were earned outright.
SPLIT BOX
Statistically, UTEP outperformed FIU in nearly every major category, leading in kills (41–38), assists (39–37), aces (6–4), and blocks (13–5). FIU held the advantage in digs, 31–25. The Miners hit .337 as a team and limited the Panthers to .247.
SET-BY-SET
ONE | UTEP opened the match with a burst of offensive firepower, sparked by three early kills from Landry Braziel and an ace from Fuka Sekita to build a 4–1 lead. FIU battled back to tie the frame multiple times, but the Miners continued to control the rhythm with contributions across the lineup—Torrance Lovesee and Hannah Crowe each delivered timely kills, while UTEP's front line produced several key blocks. After FIU tied the set at 18–18, UTEP closed on a dominant 7–2 run, highlighted by kills from Washington and Braziel, an ace from Kalia Kohler, and strong net pressure that forced Panther errors. Kohler's setter-dump kill secured the 25–20 victory and a 1–0 match lead.
TWO | Set two opened tightly before FIU grabbed a 7–4 lead, but UTEP quickly flipped the momentum with an 8–1 surge powered by kills from Sara Pustahija, Washington, Crowe, and Braziel, along with a block from Washington and Luvina Oguntimehin. From there, the Miners maintained steady control, continuing to spread the offense efficiently while FIU struggled with service errors. Crowe and Pustahija teamed up for a block to push the advantage to 19–16, and Lovesee delivered a key kill out of a UTEP timeout to keep the Miners in front. FIU's sixth service error of the frame set up set point, and Crowe and Lovesee sealed it with a block on the right for a 25–22 win and a commanding 2–0 lead.
THREE | UTEP's block and service pressure took over early in the third, as Braziel notched a solo block and Gantt followed with an ace to spark a 5–1 stretch. Lovesee added an ace of her own before Pustahija, Oguntimehin, and Braziel each contributed at the net, helping UTEP build a 12–7 cushion. The Miners continued to overwhelm FIU to force FIU timeouts by Crowe and Oguntimehin solo blocks toxtend their lead to 17–12. FIU made a late push and pulled within 22–21, but Lovesee came through with a clutch kill, and FIU's service error brought up match point again. Crowe and Lovesee closed the night emphatically with a final block to secure the 25–23 victory and complete the sweep.
QUOTABLE
"We were really cooking offensively in those first two sets, and even when FIU pushed and served tough, we stayed in control," head coach Ben Wallis said. "We got a little out of character late in the third with some unforced errors, but our blocking completely changed the set—we put up seven blocks and executed some things we hadn't shown all year. I'm proud of how our group served, defended, and stayed balanced, and Torrance came up with a massive block to close it out. Scoring 60 points in three sets says a lot about how hard we earned this sweep. We've got one more to go for a regular-season championship, and it's going to be hard—but that's exactly how we want it."
UP NEXT
UTEP closes out the regular season on Saturday, November 14 at 1 p.m. at Club Memorial. The match will serve as Senior Day, with a post-match ceremony honoring the Miners' five seniors. The contest will stream live on ESPN+.
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