EL PASO – UTEP volleyball faced its first conference and home defeat of the season Friday evening at Club Memorial, falling to WKU in a hard-fought four-set match, 3-1 (21-25, 21-25, 25-21, 28-30).  

UTEP drops to 20-3 (10-1 Conference USA) while WKU improves to 18-6 (11-0 CUSA).    

MATCH SUMMARY         
Despite dropping the first set 25-21, UTEP kept pressure on WKU with powerful kills from Kaya Weaver, Torrance Lovesee, and Ema Uskokovic, while Danika Washington and Sara Pustahija fortified the defense with crucial blocks. The Miners rallied in the third set, taking it 25-21 through effective teamwork and momentum fueled by Weaver's ace and Uskokovic's blocking. The fourth set was a nail-biter, as both teams exchanged points to reach a 28-28 tie, with UTEP staving off set points multiple times. However, WKU ultimately clinched the set 30-28 to secure the match, 3-1. 

LEADERBOARD            

• Four Miners delivered double-digit kills, with Torrance Lovesee and Ema Uskokovic leading at 14 kills each. Kaya Weaver followed closely with 13, while Sara Pustahija added 12.  
• Notably, three of these top hitters posted impressive efficiency, as Weaver hit .360, Lovesee .345, and Pustahija .321.  
• Directing the offense, Kalia Kohler and Mattie Gantt combined for 44 assists, guiding UTEP to a .278 attack percentage.  
• Uskokovic contributed 2 aces and 6 blocks, finishing with a match-high 19.0 points, while Weaver matched her 6 blocks.  
• Defensively, Alyssa Sianez recorded 14 digs, with Kohler and Gantt each securing double-doubles, contributing 11 digs apiece.

SPLIT BOX           
UTEP held the all-around statistical advantage in kills (65-55), service aces (4-3), and blocks (12-5). UTEP registered a .278 hitting percentage and held WKU to a .276 H%.    

SET-BY-SET         
ONE | UTEP came out strong with an opening block from Weaver and Pustahija, followed by a kill from Weaver to give the Miners an early 2-0 lead. Torrance Lovesee and Weaver contributed kills to keep the score tight, while blocks from Danika Washington and Uskokovic put UTEP ahead at 7-6. Despite back-and-forth action, WKU pulled ahead, and after a UTEP timeout at 12-18, kills by Lovesee, Lauren Perry, and Washington closed the gap. A resilient UTEP defense shone with late blocks from Washington, Uskokovic, and Pustahija, but WKU claimed the set 25-21. 

TWO | The Miners capitalized on WKU errors and strong kills from Pustahija and Washington, opening the set 6-3 with an ace by Uskokovic. Despite WKU's mid-set lead, Uskokovic and Washington's kills fueled UTEP's momentum, narrowing the gap to 17-19 with Weaver's key three consecutive kills, forcing a WKU timeout. UTEP's defense intensified with blocks by Lovesee, Weaver, Uskokovic, yet WKU managed to secure the set at 25-21 after a hard-fought battle. 

THREE | UTEP surged in the third set with early kills by Weaver and Uskokovic. The Miners extended their lead to 12-7 with blocks from Weaver and Uskokovic, pressuring WKU into a timeout. An ace by Weaver and kills by Pustahija and Lovesee increased UTEP's lead to 20-14. Despite a WKU rally, kills from Landry Braziel, Lovesee, and a final kill from Uskokovic clinched the set 25-21, keeping UTEP in the match.

FOUR | A competitive fourth set saw Lovesee's kills and an ace keep UTEP neck-and-neck with WKU. Blocks from Weaver and Uskokovic and a series of kills from Uskokovic and Washington pushed the Miners ahead 15-12. As the set tightened, both teams exchanged points, reaching a 24-24 deadlock with Weaver's kill. An ace by Uskokovic and a timely kill by Pustahija held off WKU's advances, but WKU ultimately edged out UTEP, taking the set 30-28 to close the match. 

"It took us a little too long to figure out what we wanted to do offensively, but I was really proud of our setters—they figured it out and did a great job," said UTEP head coach Ben Wallis. "For long stretches, I thought we were the better offensive team. I was proud of Landry for going in there, putting down a couple of kills, and helping out. For a freshman to step in like that, she did a good job. Ultimately, what I learned about our team is that we're good enough and very capable. We just lost track of too many things tactically at the end of the fourth set when we were up by a few points and didn't execute against a very veteran Western Kentucky team. I have the utmost faith in this team, and I'm very frustrated with tonight's result. This is a battle—we lost today, but we'll reload our artillery and be ready for tomorrow."

UP NEXT             
The Miners face the Hilltoppers again on Saturday, October 26, at 12pm MDT at Club Memorial. 

 

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