Box Score

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Houston Baptist sophomore outside hitter Jasmine Casey posted a double-double, but Texas-El Paso turned away the Huskies, 3-0 (25-20, 25-23, 25-23), in the Arkansas Invitational Saturday afternoon at Barnhill Arena.
 
Casey had 12 kills and 15 digs to lead HBU (6-4), while junior middle blocker Caiti Wenger had 10 kills. Senior outside hitter Heather Leaverton added nine kills and 14 digs, while sophomore outside hitter Bailey Keith had eight kills. Senior setter Victoria Weatherly had 42 assists and five digs, while sophomore libero Esther Longoria had 12 digs.
 
Jeane Horton led UTEP (4-4) with 15 kills, while Xitlali Herrera had 13 kills, 11 digs and five blocks. Cassandra Burruel added six kills and six blocks, while Malia Patterson had 34 assists and nine digs.
 
UTEP hit .258 for the match, while holding HBU to .155. The Huskies outdug the Miners, 55-52, but UTEP held the advantage in blocks, 11-4.
 
HBU scored the first four points of the match, but UTEP answered right back by scoring the next four. There were 13 ties in the opening set, the last time at 17-17 when the Miners scored two in a row to go ahead 19-17. The Huskies were still within two at 22-20, but the Miners scored the last three points of the set for a 25-20 decision. Casey led the HBU with five kills, while Horton and Herrera had seven apiece for UTEP.
 
The Huskies once again got off to a quick start in the second, scoring the first three points. After the Miners cut the deficit to 5-4, HBU scored five-straight points to extend its lead to 10-4. The Huskies led 15-10, but the Miners went on a five-point run to tie the set at 15. With the score tied at 17, UTEP scored four in a row to move ahead, 21-17. HBU fought back to tie the set 23-23, but UTEP scored the final two points of the set to take a 2-0 lead in the match. Casey led the Huskies with six kills in the set, while Taylor Nix and Burruel had four each for the Miners.
 
The third set was another tight contest with 16 ties throughout the frame and neither team ever leading by more than two points. HBU led by two twice at 11-9 and 17-15. The Huskies held their final lead of the set at 22-21, but the Miners scored the next two. After a kill by Leaverton gave the Huskies a sideout and tied the set at 23, UTEP got a kill from Horton and another by Jacqueline Cason to clinch the match. Wenger and Keith had five kills each for HBU, while Horton had five for UTEP
 
The Huskies wrap up the tournament against Louisiana-Monroe later today at 4:30.