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KENNESAW, Ga. – Kennesaw State gave Conference USA co-leader all it could handle, but a controversial call that went against the Owls on set point that would have tied the match at 1-1, instead gave new life to UTEP as the Miners went up 2-0 and held off a determined Owl squad for a 3-1 victory (25-21, 29-27, 25-27, 25-19) on Friday night in VyStar Arena. The loss snapped KSU's seven-game win streak, dropping them to 16-7 overall, 10-3 in league play while the Miners stayed in a tie for first at 12-1 (22-3 overall).
At the end of the second set, following a pair of kills from
Haley Patterson and
Manu Johnsen to go up 26-25,
Gracie Pynes served a ball to the deep right corner that the Miners did not get a good initial touch on, sending it back towards the crowd. It was initially ruled an ace, giving the Owls the set win, but then that was overruled as the line judge had attempted to avoid two players going after the ball and one ran into her, resulting in a replay. UTEP then won four of the next five points to steal the set 29-27 for a 2-0 lead.
STAT OF THE GAME: Both teams played at a very high level, with UTEP posting a .311 hitting percentage while the Owls finished with a .224.
OWL HIGHLIGHT OF THE GAME: Johnsen, playing in the first of her final two home games in VyStar Arena, had an outstanding game with 19 kills and nine digs. Her second dig of the night put her at 1,500 in her career, the second-ever Owl to reach that mark, while she is now just three kills away from setting a new school career record.
THE RUNDOWN – UTEP led almost the entire first set, but the Owls kept it close, and led as late as 16-15 off an ace from Pynes. With the score 19-18 in favor of UTEP, the Miners scored six of the next nine points to take a 1-0 lead. After the heartbreaker set two loss, the Owls could have folded but instead came out determined. UTEP attempted to pull away several times but the Owls answered every charge, the biggest when the Miners held match point at 24-22. KSU rallied with five of the next six points to claim their first win of the night, cutting the lead to 2-1. The Miners then jumped out to a 7-0 lead in set four, but the Owls rallied. A pair of aces helped fuel an 8-1 run, trying the score at 8-8 and it would be tied again at 9-9 and 12-12. UTEP took control though with five straight points, and the Owls closed within two points but couldn't stop the Miners from closing out the match.
NOTES
-Joining Johnson in double-figures for kills was
Kiernan Stamey with 13, while
Haley Patterson added 12 kills and seven digs.
-Middle blockers
Maggie Byrd and
Olivia Burrage both finished with six kills and four blocks each.
-
Kaeley Walz paced KSU with 34 assists, while senior
Leah Freeman had a team-high 11 digs.
NEXT TIME OUT: Saturday is Senior Day for the Owls, as they will honor their four graduating seniors pregame before closing out their home schedule against the Miners with a 1 p.m. contest, in a game that will be streamed live on ESPN+.
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The Owls Fund is the primary fundraising arm of Kennesaw State Athletics with the goal of supporting our student-athletes, coaches and each of our 18 NCAA Division I programs. Through initiatives such as Legacy Lockers, the Dot Martin Scholarship Golf Classic, sport-specific giving opportunities, general donations and season tickets, The Owls Fund connects fans with KSU's programs and student-athletes. Members receive exclusive benefits such as hospitality seating areas and events at Kennesaw State home games, and more. Join The Owls Fund here and discover more opportunities on how you can support Kennesaw State Athletics.
