EL PASO, Texas (UNLVRebels.com) - The UNLV volleyball team delivered a commanding performance on the road Thursday night, sweeping UTEP, 3-0, at Memorial Gym to earn its first Mountain West road victory of the season.
HOW IT HAPPENED: The Rebels defeated the Miners 25-22, 25-20, 27-25, improving to 5-9 overall and 1-2 in Mountain West play. UTEP, which entered the match at 10-4 overall and 2-0 in conference play, fell to 10-5 and 2-1. UNLV controlled the match with an efficient offensive attack, finishing with 42 kills on 109 attempts while hitting .257. The Rebels limited UTEP to a .129 hitting percentage, as the Miners recorded 39 kills but committed 21 attack errors on 139 swings. UNLV also controlled the defensive numbers, holding advantages in blocks, 12-7, and digs, 62-45. The Scarlet & Gray finished with 38 assists to UTEP's 35, while the Miners held a slight 4-3 advantage in service aces.
Jaida Harris and Jada Ingram paced the UNLV offense with 10 kills apiece, giving the Rebels a pair of double-digit attackers in the sweep. Ingram put down 10 kills on 17 attacks while committing just one error for an outstanding .529 hitting percentage. She also contributed three total blocks and a service ace, finishing with a team-high 13 points. Harris added 10 kills on 26 attacks while hitting .269 and contributed eight digs along with two total blocks.
Rheanna Deen-Jackson added eight kills and three block assists while hitting .250. Logan Lindsay contributed six kills on 15 attacks and hit .333, and Cami Christiansen added three kills on six swings with just one error. Behind the attack, Kamryn Scroggins directed the offense with 18 assists, while Kaia Thiele added 13 assists. The Rebels' two-setter production helped UNLV maintain its .257 hitting percentage while committing just 14 attack errors.
UNLV also received a strong defensive effort from Basia Latos, who led all Rebels with 17 digs. Caleigh King added 15 digs, while Harris contributed eight and Scroggins seven. The Miners were held below a .200 hitting percentage in all three sets and finished the match at .129. UTEP's 21 attack errors were seven more than UNLV's 14. UTEP was led offensively by Mackenzi Davis, who finished with 10 kills, while Landry Braziel added eight and Luvina Oguntimehin had seven. Oguntimehin also led the Miners with four blocks.
UP NEXT: UNLV wraps up its stay in El Paso against UTEP on Saturday, October 3 at 12 pm PT.
