UTEP volleyball team continues solid play, now 10-5 overall headed into matches with NMSU
Marian Ovalle continues to shine as a right side hitter for the UTEP volleyball team and has come a long way in her second year with the program.
This season, playing with more confidence and better comfort level, Ovalle has been an all-around player for the Miners, who improved to 10-5 overall and 2-2 in Conference USA with a three-set win against Jacksonville State on Saturday at Memorial Gym. The Miners won both matches against Jacksonville State in the two-match homestand and also swept them on Thursday.
Ovalle, who is from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, had six kills and hit .625 in Saturday's win against Jacksonville State, a three-set win for the 10-5 Miners. In Thursday's sweep of Jacksonville State, she had seven hits and two block assists.
"I'm more more confident this year," said Ovalle, who was a star in junior college at New Mexico Military Institute and was a National Player of the Year. "I've learned a great deal from last year and I'm applying it this year."
Ovalle's teammate Kaya Weaver and head coach Ben Wallis say Ovalle has impacted this year's team in a big way.
"As a lefty, she's hard to block," Weaver said. "She's so consistent for us and has great hitting numbers."
Added Wallis: "She's shown growth in how to score but also how to stop people. Playing beach volleyball in our program was great because she had to do it all and you can't hide in beach volleyball. It made her a better all-around player. Marian is more confident, more composed."
Weaver coming along well
The 6-foot-2 Weaver, who is a middle blocker, is coming along well in her sophomore season. In Saturday's win, she had 10 blocks and has 90 kills and 57 block assists for the season.
"What I learned from last year was to have a solid mindset," said Weaver, who hails from Galt, California. "It was nice to win these two games, we executed our game plan and we had great energy at home with a good crowd."
Added Wallis: "Kaya is a special talent, she's hungry and she wants to be good. She's a good scorer for us and she's learning to be a good stopper and taking charge of that aspect of the game."
New Mexico State up next
The Miners have a quick turnaround and play at New Mexico State in nearby Las Cruces on Tuesday and Wednesday in Conference USA. The Aggies are 4-0 in league play and Wallis is no stranger to the program, where he worked as an assistant coach and associate head coach for several seasons.
"We've played some really good matches with NMSU, in the last four we've gone five sets and we're 2-2," Wallis said. "New Mexico State has a good team and with them being in our conference now, it's even more important."
More: HS Volleyball action At the top: Franklin is at the top of District 1-6A volleyball, here's how they did it
Felix F. Chavez can be reached at fchavez@elpasotimes.com; @Fchavezeptimes on Twitter
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Juarez native Marian Ovalle is key contributor for UTEP volleyball
