TUCSON, Ariz. UTEP Beach Volleyball concluded the Cactus Classic at Bear Down Beach with a challenging weekend of competition. The team faced formidable opponents, experiencing a tough match against nearly ranked Arizona, which culminated in a 5-0 loss. Undaunted by the setback, the Miners continued to showcase their competitive spirit, engaging in a closely contested battle against CSU Bakersfield. In a hard-fought effort, UTEP ultimately fell short with a 2-3 outcome. Despite the results, noteworthy performances came from Krista Paegle & Paulina Acuna and Madison Hill & Summer McDonough, who delivered impressive sweeps in the top courts against the Runners. 

"It was a challenging weekend," associate head coach Daniel Foo said. "We had a good win to start off the season and had lots of close matches. We're close to breaking through, and I think the team is learning and developing, but we have some things to fix next week." 

"The measuring stick is always how far away you are from the best teams you compete against," head coach Ben Wallis said. "I think right now, as a program, we are really close to becoming a quality beach volleyball program. Our tactics and our systems are getting in the right place and right now it's about walking out there just understanding and knowing that when the times get tough and stressful that we're going to execute and steal wins. We're showing progress and I'm proud of this team. We did a lot of good things, but we still need to get back to work." 

MATCH 1: (RV) Arizona 5, UTEP 0 
Arizona claimed all five duals against UTEP. The action began on court 5, where the Wildcats maintained a comfortable lead throughout, securing a win against UTEP's Alexis Massey and Katie Call. The competition heated up on court 2, as UTEP's Madison Hill and Summer McDonough put up a strong fight in the second set, but Arizona ultimately pulled away to secure the win. The Wildcats then sealed the deal on court 3, where they clinched the match against Katie Martin and Marian Ovalle. The Wildcats completed the sweep after defeating UTEP's Krista Paegle & Paulina Acuna in the 1's and Mila Popovic & Ema Uskokovic in the 4's. 

Results (Order of Finish: 5, 2, 3*, 1, 4) 
1) Shannon/Cook (UA) def. Paegle/Acuna (UTEP) 21-14, 21-14  
2) Russell/McElroy (UA) def. Hill/McDonough (UTEP) 21-8, 21-16 
3) Fitzsimmons/Kost (UA) def. Martin/Ovalle (UTEP) 21-13, 21-11 
4) Harwath/Phillips (UA) def. Popovic/Uskokovic (UTEP) 21-19, 21-14 
5) Zilliken/Erro (UA) def. Massey/Call (UTEP) 21-9, 21-10 

MATCH 2: CSUB 3, UTEP 2 
The Runners made an early mark by securing the first point with a victory on court 3 against UTEP's Martin and Ovalle. However, UTEP responded strongly, as Paegle and Acuna leveled the playing field with a sweeping triumph in the 1's, marking their first win of the season. The intensity escalated on court 2, where UTEP's Hill and McDonough took the lead 2-1 with a sweep of their own. The momentum swung back and forth, with CSUB making a comeback on court 4 to even the match 2-2. The Runners sealed the deal on court 5, clinching the overall victory. 

Results (Order of Finish: 3, 1, 2, 4, 5*) 
1) Paegle/Acuna (UTEP) def. Gilbert/Moore (CSUB) 21-9, 21-17 
2) Hill/McDonough (UTEP) def. Palm/Silacci-Jensen (CSUB) 21-12, 21-10 
3) Erteltova/Kaelin (CSUB) def. Martin/Ovalle (UTEP) 21-16, 21-11 
4) Fanshier/Ensign (CSUB) def. Popovic/Uskokovic (UTEP) 21-14, 21-14 
5) Almeida/Milne (CSUB) def. Massey/Call (UTEP) 21-13, 21-14 

UP NEXT 
The Miners are back in action from Mar. 2-3, participating in the UAB Beach Classic hosted by UAB in Birmingham, Ala. 

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