El Paso, Texas – UC San Diego women’s volleyball lost to UTEP 3-1 in the Borderland Classic tournament at Memorial Gym on September 12, 2026. The Tritons fell by set scores of 19-25, 21-25, 25-22, and 20-25.
Molly McCluskey led UC San Diego with 14 kills, 15 points, six digs, and two blocks. Gia Rivera added 13 kills and five digs, while Katelyn Hernandez contributed 11 kills and two blocks. Marleena Catalan orchestrated the offense with 26 assists, eight digs, and one service ace. Defensive specialist Paulina Baillie recorded a team-high 15 digs and four assists.
The match started evenly with UC San Diego trailing 20-18 in the first set before UTEP rallied for a 25-19 win. The Tritons fought hard to keep the second set close, but the Miners won 25-21. UC San Diego responded by capturing the third set 25-22. However, UTEP sealed the match 25-20 in the fourth set.
While UC San Diego held an advantage in digs (47-44), UTEP dominated in blocks (12-5) and service aces (7-3). With the loss, UC San Diego moved to 2-6 overall and 0-0 in Big West Conference play. UTEP improved to 7-1 overall and 0-0 in Mountain West play. This was the first meeting between the programs with UC San Diego now 0-1 all-time against UTEP.
The Tritons are scheduled to face Pacific the following morning at 10 a.m. PT to conclude the Borderland Classic.
CSB Take
The UC San Diego women’s volleyball team showed strong individual effort and competitiveness throughout the hard-fought match against a solid UTEP squad. Molly McCluskey’s leadership on offense was a highlight, but the Tritons will need to strengthen their blocking and serve consistency to improve their record. This experience in a challenging tournament setting should help UC San Diego prepare for Big West Conference play beginning shortly.
Source: Original report
