UTEP volleyball falls to Air Force in five-set thriller at Memorial Gym

UTEP volleyball dropped a five-set match to Air Force on Saturday afternoon at Memorial Gym, losing 3-2 with set scores of 18-25, 25-23, 22-25, 28-26 and 15-7, according to KVIA.

The Miners moved to 13-9 overall and 5-5 in Conference USA play with the loss. The Falcons improved to 8-13 overall and 4-6 in Mountain West action.

UTEP controlled the opening set, turning a 7-7 tie into a commanding lead built on balanced offense and strong net play. The Miners hit .469 in the frame, with kills from Ema Uskokovic, Landry Braziel and Luvina Oguntimehin powering the 25-18 victory.

Air Force answered in the second set. UTEP built a 5-1 lead and held a 23-21 advantage before the Falcons closed on a 4-0 run to take the set 25-23. Braziel and Uskokovic continued producing kills as momentum shifted throughout the stanza.

The Miners regained control in the third set, using a mid-set surge to build a 22-16 cushion. Uskokovic paced the offense, while Oguntimehin and Mackenzi Davis added crucial kills as UTEP weathered a late Air Force rally and took the set 25-22 with a .387 hitting percentage.

Set four proved decisive. Neither team led by more than three points in a back-and-forth battle featuring 20 ties. UTEP fought off multiple Falcons pushes and tied the score at 26-26, but Air Force scored the final two points to escape 28-26 and force a fifth set.

Air Force dominated the deciding fifth set, using an 8-2 run after a 5-5 tie to open separation. UTEP could not slow the Falcons' attack as Air Force closed out the match 15-7.

Uskokovic led the Miners with a career-high 22 kills. Braziel added a career-best 13 kills, Davis contributed 14 kills and Oguntimehin had 12 as UTEP finished with 73 total kills.

UTEP travels to San José State on October 29 and 30 for a two-match series. Both matches will stream on MW+.