EL PASO - Kaya Weaver's career-high 14 kills and a .765 hitting percentage led UTEP Volleyball (4-1) to its second consecutive sweep as the Miners powered past Air Force in straight sets at Memorial Gym on Friday night. The Miners' dominant performance featured record-book entries for Weaver and the team, highlighted by 18 block assists and Weaver's seven total blocks.  

UTEP dominated from start to finish, taking control early in each set and holding off Air Force's attempts to rally. Led by Kaya Weaver and Ema Uskokovic's powerful hitting and a strong defensive effort, the Miners swept the Falcons 25-16, 25-18, 25-19. 

LEADERBOARD
Kaya Weaver and Ema Uskokovic led the Miners' offense with double-digit kills, both hitting above a .300 percentage—Weaver dominated with a career-high 14 kills on a scorching .765 hitting percentage, while Uskokovic added 12 kills, hitting .306. The setting duo of Mattie Gantt and Kalia Kohler combined for 34 assists, orchestrating the attack. Torrance Lovesee chipped in with a team-high 3 aces, and Alyssa Sianez anchored the defense with 12 digs. Weaver also made a significant impact at the net, recording 7 blocks to cap off her standout performance. 

RECORDS & MILESTONES 

• Kaya Weaver's exceptional performance in the match etched her name in the UTEP record books, with her .765 hitting percentage (14-1-17) ranking third all-time in a three-set match.  
• Weaver also tied for third with 7 block assists and tied for seventh with 7 total blocks.  
• The Miners collectively made their mark by recording 18 block assists, tying for eighth in program history for a three-set match. 
• Ema Uskokovic collected her 100th career block 

THE STATS 
UTEP held the all-round statistical advantage in kills (48-25), service aces (6-3), and blocks (9-2). UTEP posted a .319 hitting percentage and held Air Force to just .122. 

SET-BY-SET 
SET ONE | UTEP got off to a strong start in the first set, seizing full control early on. The Miners tallied their first 10 points through a combination of 7 kills and 3 Air Force errors, with Ema Uskokovic accounting for 5 of those kills. Lauren Perry added back-to-back kills heading into the first timeout, giving UTEP a commanding 15-1 lead. Despite a late surge from Air Force, closing the gap to 15-14, the Miners responded with a dominant 9-1 run to secure the set, 25-16. 

SET TWO | The Miners maintained their aggressive play in the second set, launching into a 9-5 lead purely off kills. UTEP stretched the lead to 15-6 with a 6-0 run, but Air Force responded with a pair of scoring spurts, trimming the deficit to 17-14. UTEP hit 20 points first, thanks to a block from Lauren Perry and Kaya Weaver. Weaver and Sara Pustahija then combined for a block and added a kill each as the Miners closed in on the set. After Air Force stole one last point, Weaver sealed the set with back-to-back kills, winning 25-18. 

SET THREE | UTEP jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the final set, but Air Force battled back, narrowing the score to 8-7 and 9-8. The Miners responded with a 4-0 run, extending their lead to 13-8 and forcing Air Force to take a timeout. Out of the break, Kaya Weaver delivered a pair of kills and an ace. Despite the Falcons grabbing two points, UTEP answered with another 4-0 run, pushing the score to 20-13. Back-to-back kills from Ema Uskokovic and Luvina Oguntimehin set up match point, and although Air Force managed two more points, Oguntimehin secured the final kill to clinch the set 25-19, completing UTEP's second straight sweep. 

"We're playing really good volleyball right now, and I'm proud of my group," Coach Ben Wallis said. "The scores may not reflect it, but Air Force made us work hard—they out-dug us, which isn't surprising given how strong they are defensively. I was excited to see Kaya Weaver go off and do the things she does so well. We also got to see Sara Pustahija make some nice plays offensively, and she passed and dug the ball really well. We were balanced in some ways and managed to get a couple of young players in when needed. Lauren Perry continues to do a lot of things right for us, and I'm really proud of where Ema Uskokovic is as an attacker—her creativity is key to winning at a high level. This was a good win for our team." 

UP NEXT      
UTEP will close out the Borderland Invitational against Stephen F. Austin on Saturday, September 7 at 12 pm MDT. 

 

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