TUCSON, Ariz. - Despite facing a tough loss to Utah earlier in the day with a 4-1 defeat, the UTEP beach volleyball team (8-7) bounced back with vigor to secure an exhilarating 3-2 victory over Santa Clara, concluding the Arizona Invitational at Bear Down Beach.
"This was a very good weekend for UTEP beach volleyball," associate head coach Daniel Foo said. "Watching the growth of the team has been great to see. I am very proud and excited to get back to El Paso and work. Krista (Paegle) and Paulina (Acuna) had a great weekend, and it was huge for Ema (Uskokovic) and Mila (Popovic) to seal the win for us against Santa Clara."
Match 1: Utah 4, UTEP 1
Utah clinched the match by securing three consecutive sweeps on courts 2, 4, and 5 and added a fourth point on court 3 after a grueling three-set battle. Despite the formidable display by Utah, UTEP's top pair showcased remarkable resilience, rallying from behind to claim sets two and three, salvaging UTEP's lone point.
Results (Order of Finish: 2, 4, 5*, 3, 1)
1) Krista Paegle/Paulina Acuna (UTEP) def. Griffin/McAlister (UTAH) 21-23, 21-14, 15-12
2) Vezzani/Johnson (UTAH) def. Madison Hill/Summer McDonough (UTEP) 21-13, 21-12
3) Sayre/Narancich (UTAH) def. Katie Martin/Marian Ovalle (UTEP) 21-18, 17-21, 15-3
4) Pitzak/Koch (UTAH) def. Mila Popovic/Ema Uskokovic (UTEP) 21-16, 21-13
5) Ray/Wessel (UTAH) def. Adriana Oporto/Alexis Massey (UTEP) 21-14, 21-16
Match 2: UTEP 3, Santa Clara 2
The match unfolded with intense back-and-forth action. Santa Clara struck first, securing the initial point on court 5, but UTEP's formidable 2's pair quickly leveled the playing field with a sweeping victory. A dramatic three-set showdown ensued on court 3, ultimately swinging in favor of the Miners, granting them a narrow 2-1 advantage. However, the Broncos mounted a spirited comeback on court 1, keeping the competition on a knife's edge. Despite Santa Clara's resurgence, UTEP's 4's pair engaged in a hard-fought battle and ultimately emerged triumphant, clinching the match in three sets.
Results (Order of Finish: 5, 2, 3, 1, 4*)
1) Kishton/Radeff (SCU) def. Paegle/Acuna (UTEP) 17-21, 21-17, 15-11
2) Hill/McDonough (UTEP) def. Benesz/Skale (SCU) 21-17, 21-11
3) Martin/Ovalle (UTEP) def. Niederman/Duffner (SCU) 17-21, 21-16, 15-8
4) Popovic/Uskokovic (UTEP) def. Esptein/Urbina (SCU) 21-13, 20-22, 15-12
5) Bennett/Munneke (SCU) def. Oporto/Massey (UTEP) 21-13, 21-9
UP NEXT
The Miners are back in action from Mar. 29-30, participating in the Islanders Classic hosted by Texas A&M-corpus Christi in Corpus Christi, Texas at Water's Edge Park.
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