EL PASO, Texas – Despite a hard-fought effort, the Pacific women's volleyball team was contained offensively to fall in three sets (25-17, 25-22, 25-19) to UTEP in the first game of the Borderland Classic Friday evening at Memorial Gym.
The Tigers (4-3) were held to their second fewest kills of the season, 32, led by nine kills from junior
Nicole Zake. She reached her nine kills on 23 swings, giving her a final clip of .217, and continued to be a presence defensively with ten digs to finish just shy of a double-double.
Next to Zake on the front row, sophomore
Adeline Sirbu put up her second-best offensive night of the season, going for seven kills on her most efficient night, needing only 12 attacks to reach her total. Like her frontline contemporary, Sirbu contributed on the defensive side with a personal best five total blocks – all five in assist fashion.
Rounding out Pacific's night offensively, both sophomore
Chloe Giehtbrock and junior
Alessia Couchond ran the offense to 14 and 13 assists respectively. To complete the defensive half of the court, sophomore
Bella Gutierrez led the team with 16 digs.
UTEP (6-1) meanwhile, buoyed by a home crowd over 1,000, swung for a team average of .271 – the second highest against the Tigers all season and the first since opening night to hit over .250 against Pacific's defense. The Miners were able to achieve this with a mixed attack of ten student-athletes registering at least one kill and 11 service aces.
Up next the Tigers will attempt to rebound with a matchup at New Mexico State as the Borderland Classic continues. First serve from the Pan American Center is set for 5 p.m. and can be seen on ESPN+.
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