The UTEP Miners women's volleyball team continues their unbeaten streak in Conference USA after taking down the LA Tech Bulldogs on Friday with a scoreline of 3-1. In a performance that was anything but easy, UTEP showed resilience and depth, fighting from behind in most sets to clinch the victory and maintain a clean slate in conference play. "I think we were down in every set except the first and just found a way to scrap out a win," UTEP's volleyball head coach Ben Wallis praised his team's spirit in a statement obtained by UTEP Athletics.
The Miners faced obstacles, as Kalia Kohler, who has been dealing with an injury, courageously managed to run the offense, demonstrating the team's depth. "Our depth showed," noted Wallis, underscoring Hannah's significant contribution: "She came in, took 11 swings, got six kills, hit .455, and blocked some big balls." Despite missing several veterans, UTEP's bench stepped up to secure the win, as reported by KFOX14.
Meanwhile, LA Tech demonstrated their own resilience, particularly in the second set, where they staved off a four-point deficit to clinch a 27-25 win. With critical plays by team members Giulia Bonifacio and Carla Esquer, the Bulldogs pushed UTEP in every set, but ultimately couldn't stop the Miners’ momentum. "UTEP is top 20 in the nation by the RPI and we battled them tooth and nail after the first set," LA Tech head coach Scott Mattera told LA Tech Sports. "We talked about not being fragile. That our mindset could not be easily broken when things do not go our way. So, to see us get up after that ugly first set and take game two was special."
Friday's match saw UTEP leading in major statistical categories such as kills, assists, aces, and blocks. Sara Pustahija of UTEP stood out with a match-high 14 kills and three service aces, while setter Alexis Massey added 23 assists to anchor the offense. Defensively, Fuka Sekita recorded 11 digs, and both Hannah Crowe and Danika Washington posted six blocks each, as noted by UTEP Athletics. The LA Tech Bulldogs managed to narrowly lead in digs, with Bonifacio collecting a double-double consisting of 12 kills and 15 digs, as per a match recap by LA Tech Sports.
The Miners look to continue their undefeated run, as the Bulldogs search for ways to turn their fortunes around in the competitive landscape of college volleyball. Both teams will have to quickly refocus, as they are set to face each other again in a rematch that promises to be just as fiercely contested as their previous encounter.
