SACRAMENTO, Calif. - UTEP Volleyball took care of the Waves, sweeping Pepperdine 3-0 (25-21, 26-24, 25-23) on Saturday afternoon at the Sacramento State Invitational inside Colberg Court at The Nest.
The Miners improve to 2-0 while Pepperdine drops to 1-1.
MATCH SUMMARY
The Miners showed resilience in the first set, erasing a 7-1 deficit before rallying with a balanced effort at the net and the service line to secure a 25-21 win. Set two saw UTEP jump out early, but Pepperdine kept pace in a back-and-forth battle. The Miners came up clutch in the closing moments, using key blocks and a late ace to pull out the 26-24 victory and take a 2-0 lead. In the third, UTEP's balanced attack continued to shine with timely kills and strong defensive plays to keep control. A powerful swing set up match point, and another decisive attack finished the frame 25-23, sealing a clean 3-0 victory.
LEADERBOARD
- Torrance Lovesee led the Miners with 11 kills and posted a match-best hitting percentage of .391 (11-2-23).
- Mattie Gantt recorded a match-high 22 assists and Kalia Kohler added 14, as the duo combined for 36 assists to guide UTEP to a .312 team hitting percentage.
- Lovesee served up a match-high three aces.
- Fuka Sekita anchored the back row with a match-high 15 digs.
- At the net, Lovesee and Danika Washington each tallied five blocks to share the match high.
- Lovesee also paced all players with 17 points.
SPLIT BOX
UTEP held the statistical advantage in kills (42-38) and blocks (9-7). UTEP registered a .312 hitting percentage and held Pepperdine to a .194 H%.
NOTABLES
- UTEP improves to 2-0 to start the season for the 19th time in program history.
- This marks the seventh season UTEP has opened with back-to-back sweeps. The last occurrence came in 2009.
SET-BY-SET
ONE | UTEP stormed back from an early 7-1 deficit to take the opening set against Pepperdine, 25-21. The Miners clawed their way back with a balanced effort, using kills from Washington and Lovesee along with a pair of aces by Lovesee to erase the gap and take their first lead at 10-9. Momentum continued to swing UTEP's way as Sara Pustahija delivered an ace and multiple Miner attackers contributed at the net. With the score tied at 21, UTEP closed the door on the Waves with a dominant 4-0 run featuring kills by Luvina Oguntimehin and Kaya Weaver, plus a timely block from Weaver to set up set point. A Pepperdine attack error sealed the frame, giving the Miners a 1-0 match lead.
TWO | UTEP rode its hot start to grab a 2-0 lead over Pepperdine with a gritty 26-24 win in set two. The Miners opened on a 5-1 run behind kills from Pustahija and Lovesee before extending their lead to 8-3. Pepperdine responded with a surge of its own, eventually knotting the score at 14, and the two sides traded points in a tight battle down the stretch. Lovesee proved unstoppable, coming up with clutch kills late in the frame before combining with Washington for a block that gave UTEP set point. The redshirt-senior capped the set in style with an ace to seal the 26-24 victory and push the Miners ahead, 2-0.
THREE | UTEP closed out the match in straight sets with a hard-fought 25-23 win in the third frame. The Miners once again relied on a balanced offensive attack, with Weaver, Landry Braziel, and Washington powering through at the net to keep the score tight in the middle stages. After Pepperdine briefly pulled ahead, UTEP responded with timely kills from Weaver, Lovesee, and Braziel to regain control. Washington delivered a crucial swing to set up match point, and Pustahija sealed the sweep with the final kill, giving the Miners a 3-0 victory on the night.
UP NEXT
UTEP will wrap up play at the Sacramento State Invitational against UC Davis on Sunday, Aug. 31, at 12 p.m. MDT. The match will not be streamed, but live stats will be available.
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