EL PASO, Texas – The Miners made fetch happen Friday night, powering past Liberty in straight sets, 3-0, at Club Memorial. UTEP improves to 3-0 in league play (13-2 overall), while the Lady Flames fall to 2-1 in conference action (14-2 overall). 

MATCH SUMMARY 

UTEP controlled the match from the outset, taking the opening set 25-21 with steady offense and a strong presence at the net. The Miners built on that momentum in the second frame, racing out to an early lead before holding off a late Liberty surge to edge out a 25-23 win. In the third, UTEP pulled away behind a dominant stretch midway through the set, using service pressure and clean execution to secure a 25-18 victory and complete the sweep. 

LEADERBOARD 

• Three Miners posted double-digit kills, led by Braziel with 12, Pustahija with 11, and Weaver with 10.  
• Weaver paced the group with a match-high .533 hitting percentage, while Braziel followed closely at .500.  
• Mattie Gantt orchestrated the offense with 18 assists, complemented by Kalia Kohler (13) and Massey (10).  
• Massey also delivered a match-high three service aces.  
• Defensively, Fuka Sekita recorded a match-best 12 digs, and Washington led the blocking effort with four stuffs.  
• Braziel finished with a team-high 12.5 points. 

SPLIT BOX 

UTEP held the edge in most statistical categories, including kills (44-35), assists (42-31), aces (5-2), and digs (34-30), while Liberty narrowly out-blocked the Miners 9-6. UTEP finished with a .286 hitting percentage and limited the Lady Flames to a .202 efficiency. 

SET-BY-SET 

ONE | UTEP established control early in the opening frame with balanced play at the net. After trading points through the first few rallies, the Miners created separation behind kills from Sara Pustahija, Landry Braziel, and Kaya Weaver, along with multiple service errors by Liberty that kept momentum on UTEP's side. Big blocks from the front line—including key combinations by Torrance Lovesee, Danika Washington, and Weaver—extended the lead to as many as six. Liberty mounted a brief push late, closing the gap to three at 21-24, but Pustahija slammed down the final point to seal a 25-21 first-set win. 

TWO | The Miners came out firing in the second set and never let up. Braziel and Weaver sparked the run with early kills as UTEP stormed ahead 6-2 and then stretched the margin to double digits. Washington anchored the defense with a solo block and later added kills on the attack, while Liberty compounded its struggles with attack errors and service miscues. Despite a late rally from the Flames that trimmed the deficit to one at 23-24, UTEP weathered the surge and closed the door on a kill from Luvina Oguntimehin, taking the set 25-23 and a commanding 2-0 match lead. 

THREE | Liberty opened the third frame with a burst, but UTEP quickly flipped the momentum with an all-around effort. Pustahija delivered multiple kills and an ace to even the score, and Oguntimehin and Lovesee chipped in to keep pressure on the Flames. Braziel took over midway through the set, hammering down four straight kills to push UTEP in front by five. Back-to-back aces from Alexis Massey further widened the gap, and Weaver finished the job with the clinching kill to close out a 25-18 victory in the third. 

UP NEXT 

The Miners will look to complete the weekend sweep when they face Liberty again on Saturday, Oct. 4, at 1 p.m. inside Club Memorial for their Mental Health Awareness Match. The contest will be streamed live on ESPN+. 

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