EL PASO, Texas – (RV) UTEP volleyball took the series versus Missouri State Saturday afternoon after defeating the Bears, 3-1 (25-14, 23-25, 25-19, 25-18), at Club Memorial.

With the victory, the Miners improve to 21-3 overall and 11-1 in Conference USA play, while Missouri State falls to 10-13 (5-7 CUSA).

MATCH SUMMARY

The Miners stormed through the opening frame with a dominant 25-14 win, fueled by an early scoring run and strong execution on both sides of the ball. Missouri State battled back in a tightly contested second set, capitalizing on late UTEP errors to edge out a 25-23 victory and even the match. UTEP quickly regrouped, using steady offense and timely blocking to take control in the third set, 25-19, before closing the match with another efficient performance in the fourth, 25-18.

LEADERBOARD

• Torrance Lovesee led all players with 19 kills, followed by Danika Washington with 14 and Sara Pustahija with 11. 
• Washington was dominant at the net, finishing with a .667 error-free hitting percentage (14 kills, 0 errors, 21 attacks). 
• The Miners' 6-2 system ran smoothly behind setters Kalia Kohler and Mattie Gantt, who combined for 43 assists and guided the team to a .316 hitting percentage. 
• Pustahija added a match-high four service aces along with four total blocks (one solo, three assists).
• Fuka Sekita anchored the defense with 24 digs. 
• Lovesee led all scorers with 19.5 total points.

SPLIT BOX

Statistically, UTEP held the edge in nearly every category—kills (59-44), assists (55-41), aces (10-7), and digs (56-55)—while Missouri State narrowly led in blocks (8-7). The Miners hit .316 as a team and limited the Bears to a .175 clip.

SET-BY-SET

ONE | UTEP exploded out of the gate, overwhelming Missouri State with a dominant opening set. The Miners built an early 9-2 lead behind kills from five Miners, while service aces from Pustahija and Mattie Gantt helped extend the margin, 13-3. The Miners' front line, anchored by Crowe and Landry Braziel, controlled the net with key blocks and a pair of aces from Alexis Massey helped UTEP surge to a commanding 19-6 advantage. Missouri State struggled to find any rhythm as UTEP closed the set with a 25-14 win, capped by a kill from Crowe and an MSU attack error.

TWO | The second set proved to be a battle, with both teams trading points throughout. UTEP capitalized on several MSU attack errors to take an early 8-6 lead, but the Bears responded after the media timeout to briefly go ahead 17-14. The Miners regained momentum behind kills from Pustahija and Washington, and an ace from Pustahija pushed UTEP back in front 21-20. Despite several late kills from Lovesee and Oguntimehin, MSU held strong down the stretch, closing out the frame 25-23 to even the match at one set apiece.

THREE | UTEP regained control in the third set, showing balance across the lineup. Early kills from Braziel, Lovesee, and Oguntimehin helped the Miners maintain a narrow 9-5 lead, while a string on UTEP kills and multiple MSU errors pushed the advantage to 15-12 at the media timeout. The Miners tightened their defense and found their offensive rhythm late, highlighted by kills from Lovesee and Pustahija, along with a big block from Crowe and Pustahija. UTEP closed the set on a 7-1 run to seal it 25-19, taking a 2-1 lead in the match.

FOUR | The Miners carried their momentum into the fourth set as Washington and Lovesee combined for several early kills as UTEP jumped ahead 8-3, with aces from Pustahija and Fuka Sekita fueling the run. The front-row defense stayed dominant with big blocks from Crowe and Pustahija, while Oguntimehin , Lovesee, and Crowe added key points to lift the Miners, 21-16. Missouri State called multiple timeouts trying to halt the surge, but UTEP remained in rhythm. Pustahija delivered the final blows with a kill and ace to clinch the 25-18 win and secure the 3-1 match victory.

QUOTABLE

"We can go on big runs when we're digging and blocking, and when we're doing that, we're damn near the toughest team to beat in the conference—if not the best," head coach Ben Wallis said. "When we get intentional about our dig, block, and serve together, we're just so much fun to watch. Some of those rallies in the third and fourth sets were spectacular. When we dug that ball in the fourth and Torrance hit that gap and nearly broke the floor, I just said, 'Wow.' Torrance and Sara are playing at such a high level right now, and I'm so proud of those two. Danika was a star this weekend—21 kills with no errors is video game level. Everyone contributed. Fuka was awesome with 24 digs in four sets, Hannah came up with some big plays, and Luvina was really good too. We're just trying to take it one match at a time and grind out wins. These players are giving us everything they've got, and it's spectacular to watch them compete and respond the way they do."

UP NEXT

The Miners hit the road for their final regular-season trip, heading to Kennesaw, Georgia, to face Kennesaw State on Nov. 7–8. Both matches will be streamed live on ESPN+.

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