NACOGDOCHES, Texas – UTEP fell 3-1 to nationally-ranked #10 SMU Friday evening inside Shelton Gym. With the loss, the Miners drop to 9-2 on the season, while the Mustangs improve to 8-2. 

MATCH SUMMARY 

UTEP challenged #10 SMU in a hard-fought four-set match, taking the first set 25-22 before SMU evened the match in the second set, 25-19. The Miners stayed competitive in each set, building leads and forcing errors, but SMU regained control in the third set, 25-17, and closed out the fourth set, 25-20, to secure the 3-1 victory.  

LEADERBOARD 

• Kaya Weaver led the Miners with 11 kills, while Landry Braziel added 10 and posted a team-best .381 hitting percentage. Weaver registered .375, and both players committed only two attack errors.  
• Kalia Kohler (25) and Mattie Gantt (11) combined for 36 assists, with Gantt adding three aces.  
• Fuka Sekita led the back row with 16 digs, and Pustahija added 11.  
• Weaver also recorded four blocks and totaled 13.5 points. 

SPLIT BOX 

SMU held the statistical advantage in every category: kills (61-44), assists (57-42), aces (10-7), digs (66-57), and blocks (9-6). UTEP posted a team hitting percentage of .185, while SMU hit .278. 

SET-BY-SET 

ONE | UTEP opened strong in the first set, trading points early with SMU before building a small lead through consistent attacking and capitalizing on SMU errors. The Miners forced SMU to take a timeout at 15-13 as UTEP went on a mini run to extend the lead. SMU fought back to tie the set at 20-20, but UTEP responded with a clutch scoring run, including key points off SMU mistakes, to close out the set 25-22. 

TWO | SMU bounced back in the second set, jumping to a 9-6 lead and forcing UTEP to call a timeout. After the break, SMU extended its advantage with a multi-point run, putting pressure on UTEP's defense. The Miners attempted to regain momentum mid-set but were unable to string together enough consecutive points. SMU closed the set 25-19 to even the match. 

THREE | The third set saw SMU build a 12-8 lead and force a timeout from UTEP. The Miners stayed competitive, scoring sporadically through attacks and forcing a few SMU errors, but they could not sustain a rally. SMU responded with a mid-set run to extend the lead and closed the set 25-17, taking a 2-1 match advantage. 

FOUR | UTEP remained in contention in the fourth set, keeping the score tight at 10-6 and forcing SMU errors to narrow the gap. The Miners evened the score at 18-18 mid-set after a scoring run and forced a timeout from SMU. SMU regrouped and executed key plays down the stretch, taking the final set 25-20 and winning the match 3-1. 

UP NEXT 

The Miners return to action on Saturday, September 20, when they face Stephen F. Austin at 11 a.m. MT. The match will be streamed live on ESPN+. 

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