'We do expect to win': UTEP volleyball shows its growth in sweep of Louisiana Tech

In the scheme of a season, the UTEP volleyball team's 26-24, 25-17, 25-16 win over Louisiana Tech on Saturday will soon be largely forgotten, another routine win for a program that does that most times out.

For that reason, a victory that moved the Miners to 17-6 in front of 917 fans at Memorial Gym symbolizes what this program has become in Ben Wallis' fifth season. These Miners know how to grind out wins and take care of business against teams looking to take out a Conference USA giant.

More:CUSA volleyball standings

What they said

"We do expect to win a lot," said Wallis, who inherited a team that went 5-25 in 2018 and has been on a rocket ascent since. "When you become a team that walks on the floor and expects to win, you also have the other side of the coin, which is teams try to hunt you down and beat you.

"That's what the Louisiana Techs and the Sam Houstons and the Jacksonville States of the world in our conference are trying to do, they are trying to come chase us. That's hard, but it's also going to keep us sharp.

"We're not going to have any easy matches. When we travel to Middle Tennessee (next week) or host Liberty at home, we're going to be battle tested, we're going to be ready to roll. I'm excited about that, I'm glad Louisiana Tech pushed us hard and made us work."

Outside hitter Torrence Lovesee, who as always did a little bit of everything — nine kills, seven digs and a block — phrased it a little differently, but spoke to a mindset of a team that has learned to push itself.

"I feel like (expecting to win) is a bad mindset to have, we always want to go in getting better each match," said Lovesee, whose Miners also swept La. Tech in three sets Friday. "We made these like hard-fought practices, which is how we finished this one. If we go in with the mindset that we're just going to win, we start to play lower and don't play to our best potential."

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Magic at Memorial

What was a little different about this match is UTEP had to battle to keep its long streak of winning sets at home going. In improving to 8-0 at home, the Miners have won 20 consecutive sets, dating back to a 3-1 win in its home opener against San Francisco when it lost the second set.

The Miners trailed 23-22 in the opening set Saturday but came back to win it, then led most of the way in the last two sets. Memorial Gym has become a special place for a team that averages more than 1,000 fans per home match.

UTEP has built a bond with its fans and if the season keeps on the same trajectory in the final month, and if the Miners don't sneak up on No. 25 Western Kentucky in the CUSA tournament finals, they could be back at Memorial Gym for another run through the NIVC tournament.

"That's what makes our team such an extravagant team: We feed off all the Miners who are here," Lovesee said. "We enjoy being at home and we play a lot better when we are here."

Wallis picked up on that.

"We love playing here and it shows," he said. "Our team thrives on the home environment, we are averaging more than 1,000 fans per match, that's so cool. Each year we've been growing that. To play at home in front of our Memorial Maniacs is such a fun deal for us and it shows."

Memorial has become magical and UTEP could be riding that for quite a while longer in a special season.

Up next

UTEP travels to Middle Tennessee in what is shaping up to be a battle for second in CUSA. The Miners and Blue Raiders play Friday at 5 p.m. Mountain time and Saturday at 1 p.m.

Bret Bloomquist can be reached at 915-546-6359; bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on Twitter.