SAN ANTONIO – UTSA recovered from a slow start and defeated UTEP 3-1 (18-25, 25-13, 25-14, 25-17) at the Convocation Center Sunday.
The Roadrunners (9-6, 2-0 C-USA) continued their dominance over the Miners (7-8, 0-2 C-USA) over the last nine years. UTSA extended its winning streak over UTEP to 13, 39 of the 49 matches played. The Miners last win in the series was Sept. 10, 2010.
Over the final three sets, UTSA hit .358 (40 kills and 11 errors on 81 attempts) – after registering a .053 (11-9-38) in the first set – while the Roadrunners held the guests to just .034 (21-18-87) after the opening game.
Trailing one game to zero and holding a one-point advantage in set two, UTSA ran off 13-consecutive points and built a 20-7 edge. The teams traded the next eight tallies, giving the home side 13-set points. After a kill by the Miners' Mallory Yost, Bianca Ejesieme smashed an attack off Serena Patterson to even the match at 1-1 at the intermission.
A 15-6 run by the hosts, turned a 5-5 tie into a 20-11 margin in game three. An attack error by the road squad put the Roadrunners on the doorstep of grabbing a 2-1 edge at 24-14. Mia Ybarra dropped in the team's third service ace of the game, securing the win. Kirby Smith, Brianna McCulloch and Kara Teal registered four kills each, combining for 12 of the team's 15 successful attacks in the game.
Leading 7-5 in the fourth set, UTSA vaulted out to a 15-9 lead on Hunter Coppola's seventh kill of the match. Courtesy of six-consecutive errors, three-service errors by the Miners, two-service and one attacking miscue by the home side, inched the Roadrunners closer the victory. Up 24-16, UTSA failed to close the match with a service error but Smith blasted home the next rally, securing the victory.
Both teams struggled offensively in the first set but UTEP capitalized on 16 miscues by the Roadrunners en route to a 1-0 lead. The Miners hit just .107 with nine kills, six errors on 28 attempts and added four points with service aces. UTSA registered a .053 hitting percentage (11-9-38), committing three service errors and four receiving miscues.
Smith recorded her eighth double-double in 15 contests with a career-high 17 kills and 13 digs. Mia Perales registered her second double-double of the season with 19 assists, 12 digs and tallied four aces. Courtney Walters added 19 assists, equaling Perales for the game high. Teal hit .467 (9-2-15) and added four blocks.
UTSA embarks on a two-match road trip, traveling to Houston and El Paso. Friday's first serve at Rice is 6 p.m. The second of two regular-season contests between the Roadrunners and Miners is at 2 p.m. Sunday.
