EDINBURG, Texas — UTEP Volleyball defeated the Texas State Bobcats, 3-1 (25-16, 20-25, 25-23, 25-13) Saturday afternoon at the UTRGV Fieldhouse to close out the Southwest Showdown. The Miners finished the weekend undefeated (3-0) and were crowned the tournament champions.  

UTEP improves to 6-0 on the season, while Texas State drops to 3-2.  

Kaya Weaver and Landry Braziel earned spots on the All-Tournament Team, with Weaver being named tournament MVP. 

MATCH SUMMARY  

UTEP controlled the match flow in a 3-1 victory over Texas State, taking the opening set with a strong mid-frame surge fueled by steady offense and serving. After the Bobcats rallied in the second set to even the match, the Miners answered with a gritty third set that went down to the wire and was decided on a successful challenge overturning the final point. UTEP then left no doubt in the fourth, racing out to a double-digit lead early and never looking back on the way to a dominant 25-13 win to secure the match. 

LEADERBOARD  

• Torrance Lovesee led the way with a match-high 16 kills and 16.5 points, while Landry Braziel added 10 kills and paced the team with a .368 hitting percentage.  
• Both Lovesee (.312) and Braziel (.368) hit above .300 with at least 10 kills, topping the match in efficiency.  
• Kalia Kohler orchestrated UTEP's offense with a match-high 33 assists, contributing two aces and recording 10 digs to earn the game's only double-double.  
• Defensively, Fuka Sekita and Kohler each added 10 digs, and Kaya Weaver led the team with four blocks. 

SPLIT BOX  

UTEP held the all-around statistical advantage in kills (60-42), assists (59-39), and digs (40-33). Both teams put up five aces and seven blocks each. UTEP registered a .364 hitting percentage and held Texas State to a .143 H%.  

NOTABLES  

• Including today's win, UTEP started a season 6-0 for the fifth time in program history, with the most recent occurrence coming in 2021.  
• UTEP has now won two tournaments in a single season 11 times, most recently accomplishing the feat in 2024. 
• Of those 11 seasons with multiple tournament titles, five included back-to-back tournament sweeps, the last occurring in 2021. 

SET-BY-SET  

ONE | UTEP came out strong in the opening set against Texas State, pulling away after an early back-and-forth battle. Big swings from Lovesee, Sara Pustahija, and Danika Washington kept the Miners even early, before a series of kills from Weaver and Luvina Oguntimehin sparked momentum. UTEP's block at the net and timely aces from Sekita and Kohler stretched the lead, while Braziel delivered three kills down the stretch to push the advantage out of reach. Weaver sealed the frame with her third kill of the set, giving UTEP the 25-16 win and a 1-0 match lead. 

TWO | The Miners stormed out to a 7-0 lead behind steady blocks from Lovesee and Weaver, plus early kills from Washington. Texas State, however, battled back with a long run to even the score and eventually grabbed momentum. Despite strong swings from Oguntimehin and Braziel to keep UTEP within striking distance, the Bobcats maintained control down the stretch. Oguntimehin tallied her fourth kill of the frame late, but Texas State closed it out, 25-20, to even the match at one set apiece.  

THREE | UTEP again raced out to a 5-0 start in the third set, capitalizing on Texas State errors and a block from Weaver and Pustahija. The Bobcats clawed back to even things up midway, but timely kills from Lovesee, Weaver, and Braziel kept the Miners in front. After Texas State erased another late UTEP lead, the set came down to the wire. A clutch kill by Weaver put the Miners at set point, and Lovesee appeared to be called for an error on the next rally—but UTEP's challenge overturned the ruling, awarding the point and the set, 25-23. The reversal gave UTEP a dramatic 2-1 match lead. 

FOUR | The Miners dominated the fourth set from start to finish, exploding out to a 10-1 lead fueled by blocks at the net and kills from Lovesee, Braziel, and Weaver. Pustahija added a string of late kills to keep UTEP in control, while the defense stifled Texas State's attack. Weaver and Braziel were forces both at the net and from the service line, and Oguntimehin chipped in down the stretch. A Pustahija kill set up match point before a Bobcat error closed it out, giving UTEP a commanding 25-13 win and the 3-1 victory in the match. 

FROM COACH WALLIS 

"I'm really proud of our team," UTEP head coach Ben Wallis said. "Offensively, we've been balanced and dangerous, and defensively, we're locking in and making it really hard for opponents to score. Even without blocking at full capacity, our digs have been exceptional, and it's been fun to watch everyone fly around the court. Fuka (Sekita) passed and dug brilliantly all weekend, and our middles didn't commit a single attack error. This team is lethal because we can score from so many players, and beating us is going to be tough. Starting the season 6-0 and going 3-0 this weekend is a great way to begin, and I couldn't be prouder of this group." 

UP NEXT                 
UTEP returns to action as it hosts the Sun City Classic Sep. 11-13. The Miners welcome UCLA, Texas Southern, and Oral Roberts. Season and single-game tickets can be purchased through the Eisenberg Family Ticket Office by calling (915) 747-UTEP, emailing tickets@utep.edu, visiting www.UTEPMiners.com/Tickets or in person at 201 Glory Road (Brumbelow Building, UTEP campus) Monday thru Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Group tickets are also available for $5 (minimum of 10 tickets).    

Join the 915 Campaign     
UTEP Athletics has launched the "915 Campaign" with a goal of signing up 915 members by September 15. Fans can support the Miners by contributing as little as $9.15 per month to UTEP's Talent Acquisition Fund (TAF), which directly impacts the success of UTEP student-athletes.     
To join the "915 Campaign" and become a difference maker for UTEP Athletics, please click here.     

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