Nov. 7, 2014
Final Stats |
Photo Gallery by Michael P. Reese 
El Paso, Texas – The UTEP volleyball team won a thrilling five-set match over FIU (25-20, 11-25, 19-25, 25-19, 17-15) to pick up their first home win of the season. The win propels UTEP to 6-18 overall, and 4-9 in Conference USA play.
Senior Talia Jones spearheaded the Miner attack with 21 kills on the night, sophomore Lindsey Larson tallied 55 assists and Ashley Peak led the way defensively with 20 digs.
UTEP got off to a slow start in the beginning set as they let FIU rattle off six consecutive points to take a 6-1 lead. That advantage wouldn’t last long as the Miners battled back to tie it all up at 12-12. The next several points were traded until UTEP strung together five consecutive points to take a 23-19 advantage. UTEP closed out the first set with a kill from Coline Coessens to take the initial set by a score of 25-20.
Set number two was all FIU. With the score 10-16 in FIU’s favor, the Panthers spun off eight straight points to put the set out of reach. FIU would go on to take the second set, 25-11.
The third set was a seesaw battle through the first 25 total points of the set. That’s when the Panthers spun off a streak of four straight points to distance themselves from the Miners at 18-11. UTEP wouldn’t go quietly though, as a couple of kills from Talia Jones and Coline Coessens kept them close. The Miners would ultimately drop the set by a score 0f 19-25.
Set number four was led by a fearless freshman in Dalainee Perry. Perry notched a set high seven kills (16 on the night) for the Miners. UTEP was able to maintain a steady six to eight point lead throughout the set. Freshman Krystal Ejesieme closed out the set with a monstrous kill (15 kills on the night) to take the set 25-19.
The fifth and final set did nothing but appease the crowd. No team ever held a lead of more than three points. At one point, UTEP held a lead of 11-8, but FIU would not go away quietly as they fought back to tie it all up at 12 even. Each team recorded a service error when they were serving for the match (UTEP at 14-13, and FIU at 15-14). After the FIU service error, the game was all tied up at 15 apiece. Talia Jones notched her 21st kill of the night to put the Miners up by a score of 16-15, and then the duo of Krystal Ejesieme and Lindsey Larson combined for the match-winning block.
UTEP will now host its final C-USA match of the year Sunday afternoon as they host the Charlotte 49ers at 12 p.m. (MT).
