EL PASO, Texas - (RV) UTEP Volleyball defeated Louisiana Tech in a very gritty 3-1 victory Friday night at Club Memorial. With the win, the Miners remain undefeated in Conference USA play at 7-0 (17-2 overall), while the Bulldogs drop to 7-14 overall and 0-7 in league action. 

MATCH SUMMARY 

The Miners came out strong in the opening frame, dominating both sides of the ball to take a commanding 25-7 victory. Louisiana Tech responded in the second, capitalizing on UTEP miscues and extended rallies to edge out a 27-25 win and even the match. The Miners regained control in the third, tightening up their defense and executing key moments to pull away late for a 25-22 win. The fourth set featured multiple ties and lead changes before UTEP's front line sealed the match with a 25-23 finish.  

LEADERBOARD 

• UTEP was led by Sara Pustahija, who dominated offensively with a match-high 14 kills and a stellar .407 hitting percentage, while also adding three service aces and a match-best 18.0 total points.  
• Torrance Lovesee followed closely with 10 kills.  
• Setters Alexis Massey (23 assists) and Kalia Kohler (22 assists) combined for 45 assists to pace the offense.  
• Fuka Sekita anchored the defense with 11 digs. 
• Both Hannah Crowe and Danika Washington posted six blocks each, with Crowe recording two solo stuffs. 

SPLIT BOX 

The Miners held the statistical edge in nearly every category, outpacing LA Tech in kills (49-46), assists (47-42), aces (9-6), and blocks (13-10), while hitting .276 compared to the Bulldogs' .139. Louisiana Tech narrowly led in digs, 44-37. 

SET-BY-SET 

ONE | UTEP came out firing in the opening set, quickly building a commanding lead through strong serving and efficient offense. Early aces from Kohler and Washington, along with multiple kills from Lovesee and Pustahija, fueled the Miners' momentum. Louisiana Tech struggled with attack and service errors, which allowed UTEP to stretch the gap into double digits. The Miners' front line dominated defensively, with Washington and Landry Braziel combining for several key blocks. UTEP closed the set decisively, 25-7, establishing control early in the match. 

TWO | Louisiana Tech responded with much greater energy in the second set, jumping out to a 9-5 lead and forcing an early UTEP timeout. The Miners regrouped behind kills from Lovesee, Pustahija, and Braziel, along with an ace from Pustahija, to erase the deficit and take a brief lead at 16-12. However, LA Tech refused to fold, rallying late to tie the set at 24-24 after fending off multiple set points. The Bulldogs capitalized on UTEP errors down the stretch to win 27-25, evening the match at one set apiece. 

THREE | The third set was tightly contested early, with both sides trading points up to 12-12. Pustahija continued to find success offensively, while Crowe and Luvina Oguntimehin added timely kills for UTEP. Louisiana Tech built small leads but could not sustain them against the Miners' balanced attack. UTEP seized control late with key kills from Pustahija and Crowe, an ace by Massey, and several Tech attack errors. The Miners' late surge sealed a 25-22 victory, reclaiming the match lead at 2-1. 

FOUR | The fourth set started evenly, but Louisiana Tech edged ahead early before UTEP's blocking unit took over. Lovesee, Washington, and Pustahija each delivered crucial points at the net, and service pressure from Kohler and Sekita helped turn the tide. Down 15-11, the Miners went on a dominant stretch powered by a strong front-row performance, including multiple blocks by Washington and Lovesee. Though LA Tech tied it late at 21-all, UTEP's composure showed, as back-to-back blocks closed out the set 25-23 and secured the match. 

Quote from Head Coach Ben Wallis: 
"I think we were down in every set except the first and just found a way to scrap out a win. Kalia's been battling through an injury and hadn't played much lately, but she went out there and ran the offense like a warrior. We were short a couple of our veterans with some bumps and bruises, but our depth showed. I'm really proud of Hannah—she came in, took 11 swings, got six kills, hit .455, and blocked some big balls. She's been earning that opportunity in practice, and she made the most of it tonight. 

Louisiana Tech deserves credit—they served us tough, defended hard, and pushed us out of rhythm at times. But our group stuck together and found a way. There are a lot of teams that could've folded in a situation like this, but our players kept fighting. College volleyball is hard, no matter who's across the net, and for us to grind through everything we've dealt with and still find a way to win—I'm really proud of that. Sometimes the gritty wins mean just as much as the pretty ones." 

UP NEXT 

UTEP will face Louisiana Tech again on Saturday, October 18, at 12 p.m. for its PINK OUT match at Club Memorial. The match will also be streamed live on ESPN+. 

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