On their final match of the Omaha Challenge to Omaha (3-3), the UTEP volleyball team (2-4) fell 3-0 on Saturday afternoon.
Junior Macey Austin notched a double-double with 12 kills, 10 digs and recorded a .357 hitting percentage. Sophomore Briana Bustillos tallied 10 digs each in the match.
Freshman Kristen Fritsche led the Miners in assists (25) for the sixth-straight match and freshman Martine Kragholm led the Miners with four blocks and added four kills.
Omaha seized control of the first set early on as they opened up on a 12-2 run.
Senior Kylie Baumgartner tied up the match with an 8-8 score in the second set with a kill set up by Fritsche.
UTEP was forced to take a timeout as Omaha built a 24-18 lead.
The Mavericks eventually earned the set point and the two-set advantage. The Miners answered with a 4-0 run, highlighted by an Alex Torres service ace.
UTEP took a 10-9 edge off a kill from Austin in the third set. But, Omaha came back into the lead with a 4-0 run. The Miners attempted to say alive in the match battling the Mavericks, but Omaha took the set and match 25-21.
The next match will take place on Friday, Sept. 7 at 5 p.m. MT as the Miners take on Arizona as part of the Borderland Invitational in Las Cruces, N.M.
Saturday UTEP will face Montana in the historic Memorial Gym Sept.8 at 11 a.m. MT. The Miners will then finish off the invitational against I-10 rival, NM State on Sunday, Sept 9 at 1 p.m. MT.