LARAMIE, Wyo. – UTEP volleyball opened Mountain West play in historic fashion Friday night, sweeping Wyoming, 3-0 (25-18, 25-21, 25-19), at UniWyo Sports Complex.
The Miners improved to 9-4 overall and 1-0 in Mountain West play, while the Cowgirls dropped to 7-5 and 0-1 in conference action. The victory also marked the 150th career win for head coach
Ben Wallis.
Friday's victory marked UTEP's first-ever win in Laramie and snapped a seven-match losing streak against Wyoming. The Miners also became the first UTEP team to open Mountain West play with a victory since joining the league.
LEADERBOARD
Luvina Oguntimehin paced both teams with 13 kills while hitting an impressive .611 on the night.
Shea Bruntmyer and
Kalia Kohler combined for 36 assists, with Bruntmyer tallying 19 and Kohler adding 17.
Lauren Perry recorded the lone service ace of the match, while Kohler and
Lily-Rose Pichon each posted 10 digs.
Hannah Crowe led the Miners at the net with six blocks, while Oguntimehin finished with a match-high 16.5 points.
SPLITBOX
UTEP held the statistical advantage across the board, finishing ahead of Wyoming in kills (48-34), assists (42-31), service aces (1-0), digs (44-38) and blocks (12-4). The Miners hit .359 as a team and limited the Cowgirls to a .132 hitting percentage.
SET-BY-SET
ONE | UTEP seized control early in the opening set and never trailed after building momentum behind a balanced offensive attack. The Miners used a 5-2 run to stretch the lead to 16-9 and received six kills from
Luvina Oguntimehin in the frame. UTEP hit a blistering .484 in the set while limiting Wyoming to a .148 attack percentage. The Miners closed the stanza with kills from Oguntimehin and
Hannah Crowe to secure the 25-18 victory.
TWO | The second set was more competitive early, with Wyoming staying within striking distance before UTEP pieced together several key runs. Consecutive kills by Oguntimehin and
Landry Braziel helped the Miners create separation, and a late block by Crowe and
Lauren Perry provided another momentum swing. UTEP maintained its offensive efficiency, hitting .355 in the set, and held off a late Cowgirl push to claim a 25-21 win and take a commanding 2-0 lead in the match.
THREE | Wyoming briefly held an early advantage in the third frame, but the Miners responded with timely defense and efficient attacking. A service ace from Perry and several key blocks fueled a decisive mid-set run that turned a one-point lead into a multi-point cushion. Braziel,
Mackenzi Davis and
Ema Uskokovic delivered several clutch kills down the stretch, while Oguntimehin put the finishing touch on the match with a kill to close out a 25-19 victory and complete the three-set sweep. UTEP totaled 16 kills in the final set while limiting Wyoming to a .067 hitting percentage.
UP NEXT
The Miners and Cowgirls will meet again Saturday, Sept. 26, with first serve scheduled for 6 p.m. MT at UniWyo Sports Complex. The match will be streamed live on MW+.
Give a gift to UTEP Women's Volleyball by donating to the Point Miners Club.
Stay up to date with UTEP Volleyball by subscribing to the team's newsletter here.
For complete coverage of UTEP Women's Volleyball, be sure to follow the Miners on social media at @utepvb (Instagram), @UTEPVolleyball (Facebook), and @UTEPVB (X) or visit the official home of UTEP Athletics at UTEPMiners.com.
