UTEP volleyball defeats NMSU in game 2, sweeps series

LAS CRUCES, N.M. – (RV) UTEP Volleyball notched its second consecutive sweep victory on Saturday evening at the Pan American Center, defeating NM State in dominant fashion in the 98th edition of the Battle of I-10.  

With the win, the Miners improve to 16-2 on the season and remain perfect in Conference USA play at 6-0, while the Aggies fall to 11-8 (4-2 CUSA). 

MATCH SUMMARY 

The Miners imposed their will early, overwhelming NMSU in the opening set 25–12 with pressure at the service line and a commanding block that set the tone. In set two, UTEP built an early lead before weathering a mid-set comeback, pulling away late to secure the 25–21 win. The third set was the tightest of the night, featuring multiple ties and late drama, but UTEP held firm in extra points to close out the match 26–24. 

LEADERBOARD 

• Torrance Lovesee led the offensive attack with 11 kills, followed closely by Kaya Weaver with 10.  
• Weaver also delivered a match-high .421 hitting percentage and totaled a match-best 14.5 points.  
• Mattie Gantt orchestrated the offense with 14 assists. 
• Fuka Sekita steadied the backcourt with a match-high 11 digs.  
• At the net, Landry Braziel was dominant with four total blocks, including three solo stops. 

NUMBERS OF NOTE

–       The Aggies dropped to 68-29-1 all-time against the Miners.

–       After a .400 hitting percentage from UTEP on Friday, the Aggies held the Miners to a .202 mark on Saturday.

–       Tess Fuqua returned to the starting lineup for the first time after going down with an injury two weeks ago. The redshirt sophomore racked up a team-high 10 digs in addition to eight kills.

–       Jaelynn Kohli tallied three solo blocks in the match, tripling her previous career total.

–       Maggie Lightheart led the team in kills for the seventh time on the season, racking up 12 in three sets.

–       With just one ace, the Aggies set a season low, doing so after notching only two on Friday. 

–       The sweep was the fourth suffered by NM State this season and its second in CUSA play.

SPLIT BOX 

UTEP held the statistical edge in service aces (7-1) and total blocks (11-7), while NM State held narrow leads in kills (35-31), assists (32-26), and digs (41-37). The Miners hit .202 as a team and held the Aggies to just .089. 

BATTLE OF I-10 SERIES

Under UTEP head coach Ben Wallis (2019-present), UTEP now holds a 7-4 record against NM State. This marks back-to-back seasons the Miners have swept the regular-season series and their third rivalry sweep under Wallis (2021, 2024, 2025). 

SET-BY-SET 

ONE | UTEP set the tone early in the rivalry showdown, quickly flipping a 2–2 tie into a dominant lead. Sparked by blocks and service aces, the Miners surged ahead 10–4 and forced NMSU into an early timeout. The Aggies couldn’t recover, committing a string of attack and service errors as UTEP ballooned the lead to 20–8 behind a Gantt ace and a Weaver kill. With total command at 22–12, Danika Washington added two more kills before NMSU’s final attack error closed out an emphatic 25–12 opening set. 

TWO | The Miners carried their dominance into the second set, racing to an 8–1 lead behind kills from Lovesee, and Gantt, plus another series of costly Aggie miscues. UTEP’s block stayed impenetrable with Braziel and Weaver shutting down attackers. However, NMSU mounted a surge midway through, trimming the deficit to 10–8 and later gaining the lead 19-17 after a UTEP timeout. The Miners responded with composure—Lovesee’s clutch kills, blocks by Braziel and Washington, and Weaver’s late ace reignited momentum. A Washington kill extended the lead, and an NMSU attack error followed by a service error secured a 25–21 win and a 2–0 match lead. 

THREE | The third set was a battle, with neither side leading by more than two in the early stretch. After trailing 5–7, UTEP responded with kills from Lovesee and Luvina Oguntimehin to lead 9-7, then pulled ahead 13–12 on a Weaver kills. The Miners built a 17–13 advantage behind a pair of Aggie errors and another Lovesee kill, but NMSU surged late, tying it at 21–21 and again at 24–24. Though NMSU forced extra points, Lovesee delivered the dagger at 25–24, and an Aggie error ended it, 26–24, completing the sweep. 

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