HOUSTON - UTEP volleyball (13-11, 7-4 Conference USA) fell to nationally-ranked Rice (20-2, 10-0 C-USA), 3-0 (21-25, 14-25, 16-25) Sunday afternoon at Tudor Fieldhouse. 

Serena Patterson and Alianza Darley led the Miners with eight kills each. Th Miners combined for 0 assists and Hula Crisostomo had a team-high 13 digs.  

UTEP had the statistical advantage in blocks (6-5) but were out hit in kills (46-30), hitting percentage (.316 - .174) and service aces (3-0). 

SET ONE | Both teams played a tight opening set that consisted of 11 ties and eight lead changes. With the Miners up, 9-8, Rice drove a 4-0 run to regain the lead. Alianza Darley posted a 3-1 kill run to turn the lead over back to the Miners, but the Owls responded with six straight. Rice gave up three points to UTEP before closing the set win on a kill, 25-21. 

SET TWO | Rice jumped out the gate with a 5-2 lead, then moved up to a 19-10 lead after posting a 6-0 run. UTEP landed two more kills before the Owls wrapped up the set off two UTEP errors and a kill, 25-14. 

SET THREE | Rice's performance at the net repeated another early 7-2 lead in the final set. UTEP cut the deficit 12-6, but the Owls pulled away with another six straight. The Miners recorded a 5-1 scoring run as Rice approached set point, but the Owls turned in one last kill to complete the sweep and win the match, 25-16. 

UP NEXT          
Miners host Middle Tennessee on Friday (Nov. 4) at 6 p.m. MT in Memorial Gym. 
  

  
For complete coverage of UTEP Women's Volleyball, be sure to follow the Miners on social media at @utepvb (Instagram) @UTEPVolleyball (Facebook) and @UTEPVB (Twitter) or visit the official home of UTEP Athletics at UTEPMiners.com.