EL PASO – The UTEP beach volleyball team (8-7) is primed to make waves at the upcoming Islanders Classic, hosted by Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at the picturesque McGee Beach in Water's Edge Park. Scheduled for March 29-30, this tournament promises fierce competition as the Miners prepare to face off against Stephen F. Austin, the host team Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Texas, and a rematch against UT Martin. 

 Weekend Schedule     
Friday, March 29 
8am vs. Stephen F. Austin   
10:30am at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi | ESPN+ 

Saturday, March 30 
8am vs. UT Martin 
10:30am vs. Texas   
^ All Times Mountain Daylight 

Fans can stream the non-ESPN+ matches through Sporfie.    

 UTEP Notables     
1-2-3 SETS
The Miners have competed in 17 three-set matches and hold a commendable 6-11 record within those challenging encounters. 3's pair Katie Martin/Marian Ovalle are 3-4 when it comes to playing in the deciding set. 2's pair Madison Hill/Summer McDonough have only played in one three-set match this season, resulting in a defeat to Florida Atlantic. 

QUICKSAND
The team holds a 9-6 record for the first pair to finish, with victories distributed among courts 2 through 4. Notably, court 2 boasts four wins. Hill/McDonough have been the first pair to complete their match seven times this season.

CLINCHING POINTS
Court 1 has proven pivotal on six occasions this season, with Krista Paegle/Paulina Acuna securing victories for UTEP against EKU, Benedictine, and Missouri State. 

PAIR SPOTLIGHTS 
Martin/Ovalle hold a 10-5 record while Hill/McDonough follow with a 9-6 record. Ema Uskokovic holds an individual record of 9-6 between two partners. 

LAST 10 
Martin/Ovalle shine as the leading duo on court 2, boasting an impressive 8-2 record in their last 10 matches. Following closely behind Hill/McDonough, Paegle/Acuna, as well as Popovic/Uskokovic, have each secured a solid 6-4 standing. Meanwhile, Alexis Massey/Adriana Oporto who have been consistently paired up for the past eight matches, are striving to improve their 3-5 record, determined to contribute their best to the team's success.  

HOT SPOT 
UTEP demonstrates its strength across four courts, boasting winning records from courts 1 through 4. Leading the charge, court 4 impressively holds an 11-4 record, closely followed by court 2 with a commendable 9-7 standing. Courts 1 and 3 maintain parity, each securing an 8-7 record. 

LAST TRIP TO THE BEACH 
The Miners dominated the Arizona Invitational, securing a 3-1 record. They kicked off with a convincing 4-1 victory over Arizona Christian, where Popovic and Uskokoivc's stellar performance clinched the win. Their momentum continued as they earned their inaugural conference triumph against Missouri State, also with a 4-1 scoreline, thanks to Paegle and Acuna's decisive play. In a thrilling encounter against Santa Clara, UTEP emerged victorious with a narrow 3-2 margin, once again with Popovic and Uskokoivc sealing the deal. Despite facing a formidable opponent in Pac-12 contender Utah, UTEP fought valiantly, with Paegle and Acuna performing a standout performance by defeating Utah's top pair in the 1-4 loss. 

 The Opponents     
Stephen F. Austin 

• Overall: 7-13 
• The Ladyjacks are riding a four-match losing streak 

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 

• Overall: 19-4 
• The Islanders dominate the Southland Conference standings with an unblemished 7-0 record, riding high on an eight-match winning streak.
• Hannah Doyle and Stephanie Young were named SLC Pair of the Week after going 6-0 last weekend, coming between courts two and three. Four of their duals came in straight sets while their three-set thriller clinched the match against Boise State. The Duo hoists a team's best record of 15-3 have won their last 11 straight matches. They are the only Islanders pair to have gone 7-0 in conference play this year. 

UT Martin 

• Overall: 9-5 
• The Skyhawks are currently enjoying a six-match winning streak.
• For the second straight week, UTM's No. 2 pair of Sydney Eckhardt and Dylan Mott have claimed Ohio Valley Conference Pair of the Week honors. The duo helped UT Martin go a perfect 4-0 at the OVC Weekend at Chattanooga. The pair now sports a team-best 10-3 mark, all on court 2, accounting for an active five-match winning streak in the process. 

Texas  

• Overall: 2-4 
• The Longhorns secured their two victories through hard-fought 3-2 triumphs over Nebraska and Houston Christian.

Get to Know the Game      
A best-of-three match is two sets to 21 points with a 15-point third set if needed, and all sets are rally-scoring. The teams switch ends throughout the sets so each combat with the elements evenly.  Each school divides its roster into five teams of two players each (10 total players will compete for each school in a match). Each program also maintains a sixth pairing that competes in a non-scoring match at most tournaments as they fight to earn a spot among one of the five scoring teams. The match is a best-of-five, so a team needs at least three pair wins to be victorious.    

 

Give a gift to UTEP Beach Volleyball by donating to the Point Miners Club.               

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