LYNCHBURG, Virginia - UTEP Volleyball's 3-1 (25-23, 21-25, 25-21, 25-20) victory over Liberty was a record-setting night, as Danika Washington delivered a historic performance with a program-best .867 attack percentage, tallying 13 kills on 15 error-free swings. The win also marked UTEP's 13th conference victory, tying the program record for the most conference wins in a single season. 

UTEP improves to 23-4 (13-2 Conference USA) while Liberty drops to 13-14 (7-8 CUSA).  

MATCH SUMMARY          
The Miners started strong, taking the first set 25-23, but Liberty responded in set two to even the match. UTEP regained control in the third set, led by Madison Hill's five aces. In the fourth set, UTEP's balanced attack and solid defense secured a 25-20 win to close out the match.

LEADERBOARD             

• UTEP's offense was firing on all cylinders with three Miners reaching double-digit kills: Ema Uskokovic led the way with 15, followed by Washington with 13 on 15-error-free swings and hit a remarkable .867 hitting percentage, and Torrance Lovesee with 12, hitting .450.  
• The setting duo of Kalia Kohler and Mattie Gantt combined for 55 assists, directing the Miners to a .336 team hitting percentage. 
• Hill was lethal from the service line, delivering 6 aces.  
• On defense, Lovesee led with 13 digs for a double-double, while Uskokovic and Kohler each added double-doubles with 11 and 10 digs, respectively.  
• Kaya Weaver anchored the net with 5 blocks. 
• Uskokovic contributed a team-high 16.0 points in the Miners' victory.

SPLIT BOX             
UTEP held the statistical advantage in kills (64-47), service aces (12-4), but were out blocked (5-9). UTEP registered a .336 hitting percentage and held Liberty to a .272 H%.    

SET-BY-SET          
ONE | The Miners found themselves trailing early but clawed back thanks to key kills from Lovesee and Landry Braziel, who kept the score close. Uskokovic contributed crucial points, and a timely ace by Hill sparked a 6-1 run that tied the set at 16-16. UTEP's defense stepped up with blocks by Lovesee and Weaver, giving the Miners their first lead. Liberty called two timeouts to regroup, but it wasn't enough to stop UTEP's momentum. Weaver's block and Lovesee's dominant net play pushed UTEP to set point, with a final kill from Washington sealing the set for a 1-0 advantage in the match. 

TWO | Liberty leveled the match by taking the second set 25-21 despite a strong push from UTEP. The Miners rallied from an early 0-3 deficit, fueled by kills from Weaver, Braziel, and Uskokovic, as well as an ace by Weaver to take a brief 6-4 lead. UTEP continued to battle with big plays from Washington and a service ace by Hill, but Liberty regained momentum midway through the set. A late surge with kills from Uskokovic, Washington, and Sara Pustahija kept the Miners close, but Liberty held on to even the match at 1-1. 

THREE | UTEP powered through the third set to secure a 25-21 win and take a 2-1 lead in the match against Liberty. The Miners showcased a balanced attack with early kills from Lauren Perry, Lovesee, and Washington, along with clutch blocks by Uskokovic and Weaver. UTEP's serving game shined as Hill delivered three aces, while Lovesee added one of her own to extend the lead. Despite a late push from Liberty, UTEP stayed composed, with Perry and Pustahija sealing the set win.

FOUR | UTEP closed out the match in style, taking the fourth set 25-20 to secure a 3-1 victory over Liberty. The Miners came out swinging, with Uskokovic and Washington leading the charge early on. Hill continued her serving dominance, notching her sixth ace of the night, while Gantt and Lovesee added aces of their own to keep Liberty on the back foot. Strong defensive blocks by Perry and Weaver set the tone, and Washington delivered back-to-back kills to seal the deal.

NOTABLES 

• UTEP's victory over Liberty not only marked their 13th conference win of the season—tying the program record for most conference wins in a single season.
• Tonight also featured a historic performance from Washington. She set a new program record with an astounding .867 attack percentage, delivering 13 kills on 15 error-free swings in the four-set match.  
• Additionally, the Miners' serving game was on point, as they notched double-digit aces (12) for the eighth time this season.

"We're glad to get to 13 conference wins tonight and go 1-0 on the day against a tough Liberty team," Head Coach Ben Wallis said. "They're extremely talented and challenged us with their attack throughout the match. We struggled to settle in defensively and didn't block as effectively as we normally do. Tomorrow, we'll focus on positioning better and cleaning up our serving, but I was proud of the high number of aces we served today, especially Maddie Hill, who delivered six big-time jump serves against a talented opponent. We also had several double-doubles, and I'm particularly proud of Danika Washington. She put up huge numbers, hitting at an exceptional rate with zero errors over four sets. That's a special performance, but it's also the level we expect from her—it's no surprise in our locker room."

UP NEXT              
The Miners face the Lady Flames again on Saturday, November 9, at 10am MST in Lynchburg, VA.  

 

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