CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – The UTEP volleyball team defeated host Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 3-1, Friday night at the Dugan Wellness Center in the Southwest Showdown to improve to 3-1 on the season. With the victory, the Miners remain undefeated against the Islanders, improving to 8-0 all-time against AMCC, while the Islanders fell to 0-3.
MATCH SUMMARY
The Miners opened the match by rallying from a late deficit to take the first set, 25-23, before AMCC answered with a 26-24 victory in the second. UTEP responded emphatically in the third, cruising to a 25-13 win, and then held off a late Islanders comeback in the fourth to secure the 26-24 victory and the 3-1 match win.
LEADERBOARD
- Three Miners recorded double-digit kills, led by Lauren Perry with 13. Luvina Oguntimehin followed with 12 kills, while Landry Braziel added 10.
- The trio combined for an impressive .508 hitting percentage, with none committing an error. Perry hit .619, Oguntimehin hit .522 and Braziel hit .400.
- Kalia Kohler and Shea Bruntmyer combined for 31 assists with 16 and 15, respectively.
- Bella Widmer registered three service aces and added 14 digs, while Kohler posted 11 digs to record a double-double.
- Hannah Crowe led the Miners defensively with five total blocks.
- Perry and Oguntimehin each finished with a team-high 14.0 points.
SPLITBOX
UTEP controlled the net throughout the match, recording 13 total blocks to AMCC's five, while also holding an 8-5 advantage in service aces. The Miners finished with a .344 hitting percentage and limited the Islanders to a .244 clip. AMCC held narrow advantages in kills (56-53), assists (46-43) and digs (56-54).
SET-BY-SET
ONE | The Miners overcame several momentum swings in the opening frame, using a late surge to take the first set, 25-23. UTEP built a 5-3 advantage behind a pair of early blocks and an ace before AMCC responded to eventually take a 14-12 lead. The Miners regained control with a 6-0 run to move ahead 18-14, but the Islanders battled back to take a 23-20 lead. UTEP then closed the frame on another 5-0 run to claim the 25-23 victory and an early 1-0 match lead.
TWO | UTEP came out firing in the second set, racing to a 4-0 lead and eventually building a 9-8 advantage. AMCC responded with a 6-1 run to take a 17-12 lead and extended the margin to 23-15. The Miners refused to go quietly, mounting a furious comeback with eight of the next nine points to pull even at 23-23. After trading points to reach 24-24, the Islanders scored the final two points to take the set, 26-24, and even the match at 1-1.
THREE | The Miners seized control in the third set, racing out to an 8-6 lead before pulling away. UTEP used a balanced offensive attack and a strong defensive effort to build a 15-10 advantage, then erupted for a 10-3 run to close the frame. The Miners scored seven of the final eight points, including a pair of blocks and an ace, to cruise to a 25-13 victory and regain a 2-1 match lead.
FOUR | The fourth set featured a back-and-forth battle from start to finish, with neither team able to establish a significant advantage early. UTEP held a 14-12 lead midway through the frame before AMCC answered to tie the set at 14-14. The Miners then created separation with a 5-1 stretch to take a 19-16 lead and later held a 22-18 advantage. AMCC rallied with four straight points to tie the set at 23-23, but UTEP responded with a kill to reach match point. After the Islanders tied it once more at 24-24, the Miners closed the match with a kill and an ace to earn the 26-24 set victory and secure the 3-1 win.
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