Miners Make History in NCAA Tournament Debut with Gritty Five-Set Performance

The Miners showcased their resilience and competitive spirit, pushing the Sooners to the brink before falling 3-2 in an unforgettable first-round matchup.

Source: UTEP Athletics
Photo: Courtesy

# UTEP (27-6,16-2 CUSA)
-VS-
# OKLAHOMA (15-10,8-8 SEC)

Team	1	2	3	4	5
UTEP	25	25	19	21	9
Winner Oklahoma	19	22	25	25	15

PITTSBUGH, Penn. – UTEP Volleyball (27-6) etched its name in the history books with its first-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament, battling valiantly in a five-set thriller against No. 8 seed Oklahoma (15-10) on Friday night at the Petersen Events Center. The Miners showcased their resilience and competitive spirit, pushing the Sooners to the brink before falling 3-2 in an unforgettable first-round matchup.

Set-by-Set Scores: 25-19, 25-22, 19-25, 21-25, 9-15

MATCH SUMMARY
UTEP battled fiercely in a five-set thriller against Oklahoma, showcasing resilience and strong offensive and defensive efforts throughout the match. After taking a commanding 2-0 lead with dominant play and key momentum swings, the Miners faced a determined Oklahoma team that rallied to win the third and fourth sets. Despite UTEP’s efforts to regain control in the decisive fifth set, Oklahoma’s early lead proved insurmountable, and the match concluded with a 3-2 victory for the Sooners.

LEADERBOARD

Kaya Weaver led the offense with 12 kills, hitting an efficient .417, and contributed a team-high 14.5 points.
Kalia Kohler and Mattie Gantt combined for 37 assists, with Gantt also issuing an impressive six aces from the service line.
Defensively, four Miners recorded solo blocks, with Danika Washington leading the charge at the net with six total blocks.

SPLIT BOX
UTEP held the statistical advantage in aces (10-7) and blocks (15-9), but were out hit in kills (47-63).

SET-BY-SET
ONE | UTEP started strong against Oklahoma with a kill by Torrance Lovesee, but the Sooners quickly responded, taking an early lead. The Miners rallied with key blocks from Landry Braziel and Ema Uskokovic to tie the set at 2-2. Oklahoma extended their lead to 6-3 before errors allowed UTEP to close the gap. After a timeout, UTEP regained momentum with kills from Sara Pustahija and Lovesee, narrowing the score to 8-11. The Miners capitalized on errors and strong plays, including a service ace by Mattie Gantt, to tie the set at 16-16. Dominant blocking and offensive efforts from UTEP’s front row sealed a 25-19 win, giving them a 1-0 lead in the match.

TWO | The Miners carried their momentum into the second set, opening with a quick 3-1 lead. Oklahoma struggled with errors, while UTEP’s blocking and hitting, highlighted by Kaya Weaver and Ema Uskokovic, extended the lead to 11-6. Oklahoma called a timeout, but UTEP maintained control with kills from Weaver and Lovesee. Despite a brief Sooner surge narrowing the gap to 20-18, the Miners closed out the set with a balanced offensive effort, including back-to-back kills by Landry Braziel, for a 25-22 win and a commanding 2-0 lead in the match.

THREE | Oklahoma came out determined in the third set, jumping to an early lead. UTEP answered with offensive firepower from Weaver and Lovesee, tying the score at 3-3 and 5-5 with a service ace from Gantt. The Miners briefly held a lead, but Oklahoma’s consistent attacking pushed them ahead. A media timeout at 13-15 couldn’t halt Oklahoma’s run as they extended their lead to 22-18. Despite UTEP’s late push with kills by Weaver and Pustahija, the Sooners took the set 25-19, narrowing UTEP’s match lead to 2-1.

FOUR | The fourth set started evenly with blocks from Weaver and Lovesee. Oklahoma gained a significant lead at 8-3, forcing UTEP to call a timeout. UTEP fought back with an ace from Gantt and kills by Washington and Lovesee to bring the score to 13-12. However, Oklahoma surged again, forcing a second UTEP timeout at 16-12. Late efforts, including aces by Lauren Perry and blocks from Weaver and Uskokovic, brought UTEP within striking distance, but Oklahoma secured the set 25-21, forcing a decisive fifth set.

FIVE | Oklahoma dominated the early part of the fifth set, taking a 4-0 lead before a Weaver kill put UTEP on the board. Despite scattered points from kills by Uskokovic, Lovesee, and Washington, the Miners struggled to overcome Oklahoma’s early momentum. A timeout at 12-6 allowed UTEP to regroup briefly, but the Sooners closed out the match with a 15-9 victory in the final set, taking the match 3-2.

“I’m so proud of this team and the places they’ve taken this volleyball program,” head coach Ben Wallis said. “Their competitive nature was incredible, and there was a look of determination in their eyes—an intent to go out and do everything in their power. A lot of that was accomplished by them. We lost to a very good volleyball team that has a pretty special player on it. I’m proud of our group and our program. We belong here—we know that. The next step for this program is making sure we continue to grind through the little things that will give us opportunities to win NCAA tournament matches.”

Full Post-match Press Conference Video (provided by Pitt Athletics)

[Editorial Note: Sacramento State fell to 2-seed Stanford (3-0), and Georgia Tech lost in the second round to 2-seed Wisconsin (3-1). All of NMSU regular season opponents have been eliminated.]

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Levi Gwaltney

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