Box Score

OMAHA, Neb. – The UTEP volleyball team (2-4) fell 3-0 in its final match of the Omaha Challenge to Omaha (3-3) on Saturday afternoon.
 
Sophomore Briana Bustillos tallied 10 digs each in the match. Freshman Martine Kragholm led the Miners with four blocks and added four kills. Freshman Kristen Fritsche led the Miners in assists (25) for the sixth-straight match. Junior Macey Austin notched a double-double with 12 kills, 10 digs and recorded a .357 hitting percentage. 
 
Omaha opened up on a 12-2 run, seizing control of the first set early on. The Miners would battle the Mavericks, but ultimately fall 25-12.
 
In the second set senior Kylie Baumgartner tied up the match 8-8 for the Miners on a kill set up by Fritsche. Omaha built a 24-18 lead, forcing UTEP to take a timeout. The Miners answered with a 4-0 run, highlighted by an Alex Torres service ace. The Mavericks eventually earned the set point and the two-set advantage.
 
In the third set, UTEP took a 10-9 edge off a kill from Austin. However, Omaha asserted itself back into the lead with a 4-0 run. The Orange and Blue battled the Mavericks, attempting to stay alive in the match, but Omaha took the set and match 25-21.

Watts's Thoughts
"We have a lot of season ahead of us. We'll work hard in the gym this week and look forward to playing in the Borderland Invitational this weekend at home."
 
Next Match – The Miners will play Arizona on Sept. 7 at 4 p.m. MT as part of the Borderland Invitational in Las Cruces, N.M. Following its match on Friday, UTEP will see its first action back in historic Memorial Gym on Saturday (11 a.m. MT) against Montana. The Miners will then take on I-10 rival NM State on Sunday (1 p.m. MT) finishing off the invitational.