EDINBURG, Texas — UTEP volleyball rolled through Texas A&M-Corpus Christi with a commanding 3-0 sweep Thursday afternoon at the UTRGV Fieldhouse in the Southwest Showdown. The Miners left the Islanders reeling, remaining undefeated in the all-time series with a perfect 7-0 record. 

UTEP improves to 4-0 on the season, while Texas A&M-Corpus Christi drops to 1-3. 

MATCH SUMMARY           
The Miners jumped out quickly in the opening set with a 4-0 run and never trailed, using a balanced attack and late defensive plays to secure a 25-18 win. In the second frame, UTEP's block set the tone early, and despite a mid-set push from the Islanders, the Miners closed strong with a 25-20 victory to take a two-set lead. UTEP carried the momentum into the third, building a commanding advantage behind strong serving and steady defense at the net before finishing off the sweep with a 25-19 decision. 

LEADERBOARD              

• Kaya Weaver led the Miners with 11 kills and also finished with a team-high 13 points. Torrance Lovesee added 10 kills to help power UTEP's offense.  
• Weaver also hit a match-leading .444 (11-3-18) on the attack.  
• Kalia Kohler led the team in assists with 21, while Mattie Gantt added 10; the duo combined for 31 assists and directed the UTEP offense to a .245 hitting percentage. 
• Kohler and Gantt each contributed two aces to lead the Miners.  
• Fuka Sekita led all players with 19 digs, while Kohler added 10 for a double-double.  
• At the net, Sara Pustahija and Danika Washington each recorded five blocks, the match high. 

SPLIT BOX              
UTEP held the all-around statistical advantage in kills (39-35), assists (37-31), aces (5-1), digs (46-45), and blocks (12-4). UTEP registered a .245 hitting percentage and held A&M-Corpus Christi to a .083 H%.    

NOTABLES 

• With today's win, UTEP has started a season 4-0 nine times in program history, the last coming in 2023. 
• UTEP's 12 total blocks in the match are tied for 10th in program history in a three-set match. 

SET-BY-SET           
ONE | UTEP came out swinging in the opening set against Texas A&M–Corpus Christi, racing out to a 4-0 start behind kills from Pustahija and Landry Braziel, plus an ace from Kohler. The Miners never trailed, with Lovesee and Weaver adding steady kills to maintain control. A late block by Washington and Pustahija extended the lead, and UTEP closed the frame on a 7-3 run capped by Kohler's ace to seal a convincing 25-18 win. 

TWO | UTEP's defense set the tone in the second set, with back-to-back blocks from Washington and Luvina Oguntimehin sparking an early run. The Miners stretched the lead with kills from ara Pustahija, Weaver, and Lovesee, while the block continued to frustrate the Islanders. AMCC pulled within two midway through, but UTEP answered with another surge, closing on a 5-2 run highlighted by Pustahija's block and a pair of Islander errors to take the set, 25-20, and a 2-0 match lead. 
 
THREE | UTEP finished strong in Set 3, powering to a 25-19 win to complete the sweep. Lovesee and Weaver led the way offensively with multiple kills and an ace, while Washington and Oguntimehin controlled the net with timely blocks. Despite a brief AMCC rally, the Miners' balanced attack and late-game stops from Pustahija, Weaver, and Lauren Perry ensured a clean 3-0 victory. 
 
UP NEXT               
UTEP will go up against UTRGV on day two of the Southwest Showdown on Friday, Sept. 5, at 5:30pm MDT.     

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