EL PASO, Texas – UTEP volleyball dropped a three-set match to UNLV Thursday evening at Memorial Gym.
The Miners fall to 10-5 overall and 2-1 in Mountain West play, while the Rebels improve to 5-9 overall and 1-2 in league action.
UTEP battled through a tightly contested opening set that featured 11 tie scores and three lead changes. The Miners held a 16-14 advantage midway through the frame, but UNLV responded with a late surge to take control. Kills from
Lauren Perry and
Laila Amos helped UTEP fight off set point, but the Rebels closed out the set for a 25-22 victory.
The Rebels jumped out to a 9-2 lead in the second set and never relinquished control. UTEP trimmed the deficit to four points at 17-13 behind a service ace from
Shea Bruntmyer and a kill from
Elizabeth Pickett, but UNLV answered and maintained separation down the stretch to secure a 25-20 win and a 2-0 match lead.
The Miners turned in their strongest effort in the third set, racing to an 8-4 lead before building an 18-15 advantage later in the frame. UNLV rallied to even the score at 20-20 and the teams traded points throughout a back-and-forth finish. UTEP held a set point at 25-24, but the Rebels scored the final three points, including a service ace and the match-clinching kill, to complete the 27-25 sweep.
Mackenzi Davis led the Miners with 10 kills, while
Luvina Oguntimehin added nine kills and
Lauren Perry chipped in four. UTEP hit .129 as a team compared to UNLV's .257 attacking percentage.
UP NEXT
The Miners will get another shot at the Rebels this Saturday, Oct. 3 at 1pm MT.
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