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Two-headed beast: Mattie Gantt, Kalia Kohler give UTEP volleyball best setter combo in CUSA
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- Two-headed beast: Mattie Gantt, Kalia Kohler give UTEP volleyball best setter combo in CUSA
The UTEP volleyball program begins Conference USA play this week at Florida International looking like the best team in the conference.
This 10-2 program, the only one in CUSA that was more than a game above .500 in non-conference play, is carrying the flag right now for Miner athletics.
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There are many ways that's quantifiable, and here is another: For the third consecutive week, junior Mattie Gantt and sophomore Kalia Kohler were named CUAS's co-setters of the week.
More: UTEP volleyball schedule
Mattie Gantt (20) and Kalia Kohler have won three consecutive Conference USA co-setters of the week award
The setter is the quarterback of a volleyball offense and UTEP isn't just best at that key position. The Miners have a two-headed, all-conquering beast.
"I feel very confident in saying we have the best setting corps in the conference for sure," UTEP coach Ben Wallis said. "We recruited three good ones (sophomore Alexis Massey is the other) and on any given night we can roll all three out there and beat good teams across college volleyball.
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"I'm proud of Kalia and Matty for what they are doing with our offense right now."
More: El Paso was starved for this UTEP volleyball team and it's magical run: Analysis
As teammates go, Gantt and Kohler have an interesting dynamic. They are rarely on the court together, as in UTEP's scheme they sub in and out for each other so that one is always on the back line, volleyball's equivalent of a quarterback rotation.
Kalia Kohler (1) is a sophomore setter for the UTEP volleyball team
As such, they don't work together between the lines in games, but the good friends work together in helping each other run the offense.
"They make each other better," Wallis said. "They push each other to understand what's happening on the floor. When Kalia and Mattie exchange with each other, they give information to each other.
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"They collect the information on the sidelines to make sure when they go in, they are sharing what's happening out there on the floor, what teams are doing to us.
"They share a lot of info. They encourage each other. They live each other's lives every day. They know how hard it is to be a collegiate volleyball setter at this level. So they keep each other accountable, but also pat each other on the back."
Last year that took the form of Gantt bringing the younger Kohler up to speed in her first year of college.
"I love Mattie Gantt," Kohler said. "She's been like a mentor for me, She helped bring me in last year as a freshman. We're guiding each other along the way, making each other better."
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They are both similar as players, though Gantt is four inches taller. Their biggest statistic will always be assists — Kohler has 170 in this 10-2 start, Gantt has 150 and no other Miner else has more than 32.
And both have added a defensive dimension to their games this season.
Mattie Gantt is a junior setter for the UTEP volleyball team
A benchmark for a setter is a double-double with assists and digs (10 or more of each in the same game), and Gantt had two of those this year while Kohler has three.
"I feel like I've grown as a defensive player," Gantt said, something Kohler also said about herself. "I'm more diving around a lot, getting balls off the ground, being able to see the middle more whenever I'm setting."
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But as for her biggest attribute, that was spoken like a setter.
"I feel like I bring a calm demeanor," Gantt said. "You're going to get the same me every day: I'm here, I'm ready to work, ready to go."
The 5-foot-11 Gantt came to El Paso from Aledo (near Fort Worth) in 2022, by some measures the highest rated recruit the program has ever had (the only Prep Volleyball Top 150 player). Her journey to El Paso was interesting.
"That's a funny story," she said. "Ben had initially reached out to me at the beginning of my recruiting and I was like, 'El Paso? I'll never go to El Paso, Texas. Why would I go all the way West?'
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"Then some things happened in recruiting, my brother checked my e-mails and said, 'You should really check out UTEP. They're really good.' (Her brother) was talking to the coaches more than I was talking to the coaches.
"Then I got a phone call from Ben, I came out here on a visit and committed within 24 hours of being here."
The 5-foot-7 Kohler comes to El Paso from Alpine, Utah. She walked right in last year as a freshman and won four CUSA freshmen of the week awards and shared one co-setter of the week with Gantt. The five conference awards were the most by a freshman in UTEP history.
"I bring not only my setting but the IQ part of running an offense," Kohler said. "Also, there's defense. Mattie and I have worked hard to be defensive setters, so being able to get balls off the court and keep rallies going."
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That has the Miners rolling in this red-hot start to the season.
"The team is a little different than last year, we're younger, but we've found a way to get in sync and we're all having a great flow and carrying it over to conference play," Kohler said.
Said Gantt: "Our goal is not just to win our conference games but to dominate those games like we did Sunday against Texas State (a three-set sweep).
"We're excited to get into conference and see what we can do."
That has to be scary for everyone else in the conference.
Bret Bloomquist can be reached at bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on X.
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UTEP 2024 volleyball schedule
HOME GAMES IN ALL CAPS
All times Mountain
Aug 30 (Fri) at Utah, Salt Lake City L 0-3
Aug 31 (Sat) vs. Green Bay, Salt Lake City W 3-0
Sep 1 (Sun) vs. Utah State, Salt Lake City W 3-0
Sep 5 (Thu) SOUTHWESTERN LOUISIANA W 3-0
Sep 6 (Fri) AIR FORCE W 3-0
Sep 7 (Sat) STEPHEN F. AUSTIN W 3-1
Sep 13 (Fri) vs. Iowa State, Vermillion, SD W 3-0
Sep 14 (Sat) vs. Montana State, Vermillion, SD W 3-1
Sep 15 (Sun) at South Dakota, Vermillion, SD L 1-3
Sep 20 (Fri) UT-RIO GRANDE VALLEY W 3-1
Sep 21 (Sat) TEXAS A&M-CORPUS CHRISTI W 3-2
Sep 22 (Sun) TEXAS STATE W 3-0
Sep 27 (Fri) 3 p.m. at Florida International, Miami
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Sep 28 (Sat) 9 a.m. at Florida International, Miami
Oct 4 (Fri) 6 p.m. SAM HOUSTON
Oct 5 (Sat) Noon SAM HOUSTON
Oct 8 (Tue) 6 p.m. NEW MEXICO STATE
Oct 9 (Wed) 6 p.m. NEW MEXICO STATE
Oct 12 (Sat) 5 p.m. at Louisiana Tech, Ruston, LA
Oct 13 (Sun) 11 a.m. at Louisiana Tech, Ruston, LA
Oct 18 (Fri) 5 p.m. at Jacksonville State, Jacksonville, AL
Oct 19 (Sat) 1 p.m. at Jacksonville State, Jacksonville, AL
Oct 25 (Fri) 6 p.m. WESTERN KENTUCKY
Oct 26 (Sat) 12 p.m. WESTERN KENTUCKY
Oct 31 (Thu) 6 p.m. MIDDLE TENNESSEE
Nov 1 (Fri) 6 p.m. MIDDLE TENNESSEE
Nov 8 (Fri) 4 p.m. at Liberty, Lynchburg, VA
Nov 9 (Sat) 10 a.m. at Liberty, Lynchburg, VA
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Nov 15 (Fri) 6 p.m. KENNESAW STATE
Nov 16 (Sat) Noon KENNESAW STATE
Nov 22 (Fri) TBD vs. CONFERENCE USA TOURNAMENT, Memorial Gym
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Two setters are better than one: UTEP thrives with Gantt, Kohler
