**Due to technical issues, official individual statistics were not available at the time of publication. UTEP Athletics will update the recap with official stats once they become available and are verified.**
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – UTEP volleyball (2-1) completed an ultimate comeback Thursday evening, rallying from a two-set deficit to defeat Texas State, 3-2 (24-26, 19-25, 25-22, 25-12, 15-10), to open the third annual Southwest Showdown in Corpus Christi, Texas.
SET-BY-SET
ONE | UTEP fell behind 5-0 to open the first set before gradually chipping away at the deficit. The Miners cut the margin to 8-6 before eventually pulling even at 11-all behind a four-point run. UTEP then took its first lead of the match at 13-12 and extended the advantage to 19-15. Texas State answered with a three-point run to pull within one, but the Miners continued to hold the lead, taking a 22-21 advantage late in the frame. The Bobcats responded with consecutive points to move ahead, and after UTEP tied the set at 25-all, Texas State scored the final two points to take the opening set, 27-25.
TWO | The second set featured another back-and-forth start before Texas State created separation midway through the frame. The Bobcats rattled off five consecutive points to take a 14-9 lead. The Miners continued to battle, cutting the deficit to 14-11 and later 19-16, but Texas State maintained control down the stretch. The Bobcats closed the set on a 4-2 run to take the frame, 25-19, and put UTEP in a 2-0 hole.
THREE | Facing its largest deficit of the match, UTEP responded immediately in the third set. The Miners opened the frame with a 6-2 run and continued to control the pace, holding an advantage through much of the set. Texas State tied it at 14-all, but UTEP answered to push its lead back to 18-16. The Miners later held a 23-20 advantage before the Bobcats mounted a late rally to make it 23-22. UTEP stayed composed, scoring the final two points to secure a 25-22 victory and cut the match deficit to 2-1.
FOUR | The fourth set belonged to the Miners from the opening serve. UTEP jumped out to a 4-1 lead and continued to build its advantage, taking an 8-4 lead before erupting on a 10-1 run to take a commanding 15-4 cushion. Texas State attempted to slow the momentum, but the Miners continued to apply pressure, eventually pushing the lead to 22-11. UTEP closed out the set to cruise to a 25-12 victory and force a decisive fifth set.
FIVE | With the match on the line, UTEP once again established an early lead in the fifth, opening the frame ahead 4-2 before extending the advantage to 7-3. Texas State responded by cutting the deficit to 8-7, but the Miners quickly regained control. UTEP move ahead 10-8 and continued to maintain its two-point cushion. The Miners took a 12-8 lead before Texas State answered back, but UTEP closed the match by scoring three of the final four points to secure a 15-10 fifth-set victory and complete the reverse sweep.
UP NEXT
UTEP continues action at the Southwest Showdown on Friday, Sept. 4, against host Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. First serve is scheduled for 5:30 pm MT and will be streamed live on ESPN+.
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