EL PASO - The UTEP Volleyball team (27-5) has made program history, earning its first-ever NCAA Tournament at-large selection. The Miners are set to take on No. 8-seeded Oklahoma in the first round on Friday, December 6, at 2 p.m. MST (4 p.m. ET) at the Petersen Events Center on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh.

"This NCAA Tournament bid means so much to everyone who has been part of this program," head coach Ben Wallis said. "It's a testament to the hard work and resilience that have made UTEP a volleyball school people expect to succeed. Playing Oklahoma will be a challenge—they're physical, athletic, and recently beat the reigning national champions—but we're ready. We'll stick to our identity: balanced, physical, and relentless, punishing the block and executing at a high level. This team was chosen for a reason, and we're going to take that chip on our shoulder to Pittsburgh and give it everything we've got."

SCHEDULE       

HITTING WITH CONSISTENCY               
UTEP's offense is firing on all cylinders, hitting .291 overall, with two Miners exceeding or matching that mark. Kaya Weaver leads the team, boasting a .440 hitting percentage among players with at least 180 kills. The Miners' efficiency ranks ninth nationally. UTEP reached a season-high .481 in a 3-0 sweep against Kennesaw State on Nov. 15 and has hit over .300 in 17 matches this season.       

BLOCK PARTY              
UTEP's defense has been dominant at the net, registering a season-high 16 blocks in a 3-0 sweep against Utah State on Sept. 1. The Miners have reached double-digit blocks in 17 matches this season, with Kaya Weaver leading the team with 146.0 blocks. Nationally, UTEP ranks 15th in blocks per set (2.75) and 16th in team total blocks (305.0).

BALANCED ATTACK 
The Miners' offense has showcased impressive balance all season, with three players averaging over 2.0 kills per set. Ema Uskokovic leads the charge, racking up 347 kills at 3.13 per set, while Torrance Lovesee (2.46 k/s) and Kaya Weaver (2.43 k/s) have been consistent contributors to UTEP's dynamic attack.

CUSA POSTSEASON AWARDS  
UTEP Volleyball earned a program-best eight Conference USA postseason awards, including Kaya Weaver being named CUSA Defensive Player of the Year—UTEP's first-ever CUSA superlative honoree. The Miners placed two players on the All-CUSA First Team, three on the Second Team, and two on the All-Freshman Team.  
Highlights:  

• Kaya Weaver (MB): Defensive Player of the Year, All-CUSA First Team. Led CUSA in hitting percentage (.431, 8th NCAA) and blocks (143, 10th NCAA). UTEP's first-ever CUSA Defensive POY.  
• Ema Uskokovic (OH): All-CUSA First Team. Team leader in kills (323), aces (44), and points (416.5).  
• Kalia Kohler (S): All-CUSA Second Team. Directed UTEP's offense with 588 assists and 16 20+ assist matches.  
• Torrance Lovesee (OH): All-CUSA Second Team. Second on the team in kills (253), aces (42), and digs (217).  
• Danika Washington (MB): All-CUSA Second Team. Key senior with a .385 hitting percentage and 97 blocks.  
• Landry Braziel (OH): All-Freshman Team. Twice named CUSA Freshman of the Week.  
• Lauren Perry (OH): All-Freshman Team. Contributed 121 kills and 30 blocks in her debut season.  

This marks UTEP's third consecutive season with multiple honorees on the First and Second Teams, highlighting the program's consistent growth and success.  

MINER RANKINGS              
Nationally, UTEP is ranked in the top 50 in eight categories while leading CUSA:               
2. Aces/Set (2.28)* 
3. Team Service Aces (253)* 
9. hitting Percentage (0.291) 
12. Match W-L Percentage (0.844)* 
15. Blocks/Set (2.75)* 
16. Team Total Blocks (305.0) 
23. Opponent Hitting Percentage (0.165)* 
38. Kills/Set (13.67) 
56. Team Kills (1517) 
66. Assists/Set (12.44) 
77. Team Assists (1381) 
*CUSA Leader              

UTEP has four players ranked in the Top 100 in NCAA.      

IF YOU AIN'T FIRST, YOU'RE LAST      
On October 19, UTEP Volleyball dominated Jax State via sweep and with this impressive win, UTEP became the first Division 1 team in the NCAA to reach 20 victories this season.     

PACKED HOUSE      
UTEP Volleyball has seen a surge in fan support over the past two seasons, with record-breaking attendance figures highlighting the team's growing popularity. In 2023, the Miners set a program record for regular-season attendance, drawing 1,803 fans for a match against Liberty. This season, they shattered that mark three times, most recently packing 2,315 fans into Memorial Gym for an electric showdown against NM State on October 9. While the overall program attendance record stands at 3,271, set during last season's sellout NIVC Championship run, which included three consecutive sellout matches in the quarterfinals, semifinals, and the final game, the Miners are eager to continue building on this momentum.   

MAKING HISTORY        
On October 9, during UTEP's 3-1 win over NM State, Alyssa Sianez made history by breaking the all-time program record for career digs. With her outstanding performance, she surpassed the previous record of 1,369 digs, which had been held by Sarah Villa (2013-16) for eight years. Sianez's achievement marks a significant milestone in the program's history and solidifies her legacy as one of its all-time greats.       

MINING NEW HEIGHTS       
UTEP's 27-5 overall record is the best in program history through 32 games. This marks only the third time in school history the Miners have achieved at least 27 wins in a season, with previous milestones achieved in 1984 (28-14) and 1982 (30-18).  

WIN STREAK RECORD     
After the sweep at Jax State (Oct. 18-19), UTEP won 13 straight contests. That breaks the prior school standard (nine; 1996, 1982) for most victories in a row during a single season. The overall program record for consecutive contests won is 14, which spanned from Nov. 6, 1987, to Sept. 17, 1988.      

HOME SWEET HOME COURT      
Before dropping two to WKU, the Miners had won 20 straight regular-season matches at Club Memorial. UTEP is 29-4 at home dating back to the start of the 2023 season, including a stellar 14-1 record last year, with the lone loss coming to Wichita State (L, 0-3) in the NIVC Championship on Dec. 12.  

AWARD-WINNING MINERS      
The Miners have been honored by the league office with at least one of the weekly awards (including freshman of the week) in eight of the 11 weeks of the season. UTEP secured four setters (co) of the week (Mattie Gantt and Kalia Kohler, Sept. 23, Sept. 16, Sept. 9, Nov. 11), a pair of offensive players of the week (Ema Uskokovic, Oct. 7, Kaya Weaver, Sept. 9), two defensive players of the week (Weaver, Oct. 7, Sept. 2) and two freshman of the week (Landry Braziel, Oct. 14, Nov. 4).  The four co-setters of the week are already the most in a single season for the position in program history. Making it more impressive is that Gantt and Kohler reeled in the honor for three straight weeks. The 14 overall weekly awards (including freshman of the week) already break the prior school standard (10; 2023, 2022).      

CLEAN SWEEP CREW       
UTEP has dominated this season with 19 of its 26 victories coming in three-set sweeps, breaking the program's single-season record of 18 sweeps set in 1988 during a 26-15 campaign. 

ANOTHER 20-WIN SEASON       
On October 19 versus Jax State, UTEP secured its third 20-win season in the past four years, a level of success not seen in El Paso since the Miners recorded at least 20 victories in seven of eight years from 1982-88. Prior to head coach Ben Wallis' arrival in the Sun City, UTEP had registered just one 20-win campaign (21-10, 2005) in the previous 29 seasons.    

DOUBLE-DIGIT CONFERENCE WINS       
On October 19 versus Jax State, the Miners achieved their third consecutive campaign with double-digit victories in league play. Prior to this stretch, UTEP had recorded just three total seasons with at least 10 conference wins (2012, 2005, 1996) since the program's inception in 1974.  

SWEET 16  
The Liberty series (Nov. 8-9) was a milestone moment for UTEP Volleyball. In the opening match, the Miners tied the program record for most conference wins in a season (13). They followed it up with another victory over the Flames, setting a new record with 14 conference wins. After sweeping Kennesaw State (Nov. 15-16), UTEP has raised the bar even higher, establishing a new program standard with 16 conference wins in a single season.  

THE OPPONENT               
Oklahoma 

• No. 8 seeded Oklahoma enters the tournament at 14-10 (8-8 SEC). 
• Team Ranks: The Sooners are 9th in the nation in blocks per set (2.80. They also rank 32nd in hitting percentage, 36th in assists per set, 62nd in total blocks, and 71st in kills per set. 
• All-SEC: Oklahoma had three players earning All-SEC honors: Alexis Shelton was named to the First Team, while Kari Geissberger and Lydia Martyn received Second Team accolades. 
• Player Ranks: Alexis Shelton has emerged as one of the nation's premier players, earning top-100 rankings in five categories. Shelton is 22nd in points per set and 26th in kills per set, consistently powering the Sooners' attack. Additionally, she ranks 66th in total kills, 70th in total points, and 71st in attacks per set.
• Series: It will mark the fourth all-time matchup between the Miners and the Sooners, who posted a 14-10 record during the regular season (8-8 SEC/sixth place). The series history includes UTEP's forfeit victory in the 1979 season opener, along with Oklahoma's 3-0 wins in the 2015 Borderland Invitational and the 2016 Oklahoma Invitational.

Tournament Format 
First- and second-round matches will be played December 5-7 at 16 campus sites. Teams winning both matches will continue to regional play December 12-15. Regionals for the NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship will be held at four non-predetermined campus sites, which will be announced on December 8. At each site, four teams will compete in single-elimination regional semifinal competition.

The regional winners will advance to the national semifinals and championship final hosted by the University of Louisville, in conjunction with the Louisville Sports Commission, December 19 and 22 at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville. The national semifinal matches will broadcast on ESPN starting at 6:30 p.m. ET, and the championship match will be broadcast on ABC at 3 p.m. ET. All preliminary site match times can be found on the attached championship bracket or online at www.ncaa.com/volleyball.
 

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