UTEP volleyball wins third straight Southwest Showdown title

UTEP volleyball captured the Southwest Showdown championship for the third consecutive year, defeating UTRGV 3-2 on Saturday morning at Dugan Wellness Center in Corpus Christi, Texas, according to KVIA. The victory improved the Miners to 4-1 on the season and extended their perfect all-time record in the tournament to 9-0. UTRGV fell to 1-3.

Davis led UTEP with 16 kills while hitting .615 and contributed 19.0 points overall. Perry finished with 10 kills on a .313 hitting percentage and added four service aces, a match high. Kohler recorded 27 assists, and Bella Widmer registered 10 digs. Oguntimehin posted five total blocks.

The Miners accumulated 55 kills, eight service aces and 13 total blocks while holding UTRGV to a .182 hitting percentage. UTEP hit .206 for the match.

UTRGV won the opening set 25-21 after jumping to a 3-0 lead, though UTEP answered with a 6-0 run to reach 9-6. Davis registered six kills in the first frame as the Miners added five blocks.

UTEP bounced back in the second set, erasing a 19-16 deficit with three consecutive UTRGV errors and Oguntimehin's solo block. After UTRGV took a 21-20 lead, UTEP closed on a 5-1 run capped by a Davis kill and blocks from Hannah Crowe and Landry Braziel to win 25-23 and even the match.

The Miners carried momentum into the third set, turning a 14-11 deficit into a 25-21 win. Perry sparked the comeback with three consecutive kills following a 6-0 UTEP run that gave the Miners a 21-17 lead. Oguntimehin finished the set with her fifth kill.

UTRGV won the fourth set 25-20 after racing to an 11-4 advantage, forcing a decisive fifth frame. UTEP dominated the final set, building a 5-2 lead before UTRGV tied at 6-6. The Miners answered with a 9-3 run to close the match 15-9, with Uskokovic opening the surge with back-to-back kills.

UTEP returns to action next weekend when the Miners host the Borderland Classic from September 10-13.