PORTLAND, Ore.—The UTEP Miners were able to hold off the Pilots 3-0 in a volleyball contest held at Viking Pavilion on Friday afternoon, securing the match in set scores of 25-20, 25-15, and 25-18.
 
Jayde Harris finished the day tied for a game-high 10 kills—seven of which came in the first set—Noelani Helm contributed 13 assists, and Grace Zilbert came up with eight digs for the designated home side. Sophomore Nevaeh Bray also added four block assists.
 
Helm set up Harris to get Portland (3-5, 0-0 WCC) on the board first to open the game, but UTEP (7-1, 0-0 C-USA), answered with three scores to push them ahead at 3-1. Two more Harris kills and another from Chelsey Harmon would tie the game at 4s, although the Miners managed to create some separation in the set soon after.  A 3-0 Portland run including attacks from Jiana Lawson and Harris brought the Pilots within one at 11-12, and the Miners would respond with a small run of their own which would be enough to seal the set and go ahead 1-0 on the match.
 
The Miners jumped out to a 4-1 lead at the start of set two, and eventually added to that gap by the middle of the frame in order to sustain a solid cushion throughout the end for the 2-0 advantage overall.
 
UTEP found another small gap at 4-1 to begin the match's third set, but a Harris score and an ace served up by freshman Alyssa Muraoka sparked a Portland run which would level the game at 5-5. Moments later, Harris and Harmon teamed up for a block that would swing the score for the Pilots and put them ahead by one. The Miners then rallied for a two-point edge at 9-7, yet Portland would come back to level the set at both 9s and 10s—the second time provided by an ace from Zilbert. UTEP produced a 7-0 run after that which would hand them all the momentum they would need to close out the match.

"We had moments today of UP volleyball but not enough over time," said head coach Megan Burton. "Our young players are stepping up into new roles and our veterans continue to work hard and lead on the floor. We continue to struggle in serve receive so we will focus on upgrading that tomorrow. Every opportunity we have to compete is an opportunity to learn and grow. We will come back tomorrow ready to compete and do our best."

The Pilots are set for a final match at Viking Pavilion tomorrow afternoon, September 11th, against Grand Canyon, scheduled to begin at 12:30 p.m.