EL PASO, Texas – UTEP volleyball survived one of its wildest matches of the season Friday night, defeating UC Davis, 3-1 (21-25, 34-32, 25-22, 25-20), before 1,471 fans inside Club Memorial. The Miners rebounded from a first-set loss and captured a dramatic second set that lasted 58 minutes, using the momentum to secure the final two frames and improve to 16-9 overall and 8-5 in Mountain West play.
MATCH SUMMARY
After dropping the opening set, UTEP found its footing by winning one of the most memorable sets of the season, outlasting UC Davis 34-32 in a 58-minute second frame that was highlighted by multiple replay reviews, an overturned set-ending call, and a lengthy officials' conference involving the rule book. The emotional victory shifted the momentum entirely in the Miners' favor. UTEP followed with efficient performances in sets three and four, hitting .450 in the third and controlling much of the fourth to secure the 3-1 victory.
LEADERBOARD
- Ema Uskokovic paced the Miners with 14 kills and added 17 digs to record a double-double, while also leading the team with 16.5 points. Lauren Perry followed with 13 kills and turned in one of her most efficient performances of the season, hitting .387 with just one attack error on 31 swings while adding 13 digs for a double-double of her own. Uskokovic attacked at a .306 clip with only three errors on 36 attempts.
- UTEP's offense was directed by setters Kalia Kohler and Shea Bruntmyer, who combined for 47 assists, including a team-high 29 from Kohler.
- Luvina Oguntimehin contributed two of the Miners' five service aces, stuffed eight blocks, and helped anchor a UTEP defense that produced 15 team blocks.
- Lily-Rose Pichon led all Miners with 18 digs.
SPLITBOX
UTEP's biggest statistical advantages came at the service line and the net, where the Miners finished with five aces to UC Davis' four and held a decisive 15-9 edge in team blocks. The Aggies narrowly led in kills (62-55), assists (55-53) and digs (73-64), but UTEP's efficiency proved to be the difference. The Miners hit .224 as a team while limiting UC Davis to a .162 attacking percentage.
SET-BY-SET
ONE | The Aggies controlled much of the opening set, turning a 12-13 advantage into a five-point lead midway through the frame. UC Davis benefited from several timely swings by Brooke Hibino and Ally Chandler, extending its cushion to 24-18 before UTEP mounted a late push. The Miners erased three set points behind kills from
Ema Uskokovic and
Mackenzi Davis and a block by Davis and
Sydney Frazier, but UC Davis closed the set on its fourth opportunity to claim a 25-21 victory.
TWO | The second set became the defining chapter of the night and one of the most dramatic stretches of volleyball Memorial Gym has seen this season. After falling behind 7-1 early, UTEP stormed back and eventually built a 24-22 lead with a chance to even the match. UC Davis answered by saving multiple set points and moved ahead, appearing to win the set at 29-27 following a close touch call.
Rather than heading into intermission trailing 2-0, UTEP challenged the ruling. Following an extended officials' discussion that included reviewing replay footage, determining whether the challenge request was submitted in time, and consulting the rule book, the call was overturned to tie the score at 28-28. The reversal sparked another 10 rallies between the teams as neither side could gain separation. UTEP ultimately prevailed 34-32 when a Miner block sealed the frame, capping a 58-minute set that featured three total challenges.
THREE | With momentum firmly on its side, UTEP delivered its most efficient offensive set of the night. The Miners hit .450 in the frame and never trailed by more than three points despite a tightly contested battle through the middle stages. After UC Davis tied the score at 15-all, UTEP answered with a steady closing run fueled by production from Uskokovic,
Lauren Perry and
Luvina Oguntimehin. The Aggies pulled within 24-22 late, but a UC Davis service error ended the set and pushed the Miners ahead 2-1. The frame also featured another unsuccessful UC Davis challenge and a yellow card issued to the Aggies' head coach.
FOUR | UTEP carried that momentum into the fourth set, jumping out to a 5-0 lead and forcing an early UC Davis timeout. The Miners stretched the advantage to 11-5 behind strong play from Perry and Uskokovic before the Aggies mounted a late push, trimming the deficit to 18-16. UTEP responded with four of the next five points, including another successful challenge that overturned a point in the Miners' favor. Blocks by
Landry Braziel,
Hannah Crowe, Oguntimehin and Perry helped close the door as UTEP secured the 25-20 set win and completed the four-set triumph.
UP NEXT
UTEP and UC Davis will conclude the two-match series on Sunday, Nov. 8, with first serve scheduled for noon MT at Club Memorial. The match will be streamed live on MW+.
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