EL PASO, Texas – (RV) UTEP Volleyball returns home to Memorial Gym for Voll-O-Ween at Club Memorial, hosting Missouri State in a two-match Conference USA series October 31–November 1. First serve is set for 6 p.m. MT on Friday and 12 p.m. MT on Saturday. Both matches will stream live on ESPN+.
SCHEDULE
| DATE |
TIME |
MATCHUP |
WATCH |
LIVE STATS |
Fri. Oct. 31
Sat. Nov. 1 |
6 PM
12 PM |
UTEP vs. Missouri State
UTEP vs. Missouri State |
ESPN+
ESPN+ |
StatBroadcast
StatBroadcast |
| ^All Times Listed Mountain Daylight |
LAST TIME OUT
UTEP Volleyball made history last weekend, snapping Western Kentucky's 100-match regular-season Conference USA winning streak with a 3-0 sweep Friday night at Diddle Arena — ending a run that spanned seven years.
The Miners came out firing with a gritty 25–23 win in the opening frame and never looked back, taking the next two sets 25–20 and 25–20 to complete the sweep. UTEP's victory came nearly seven years to the day after WKU began its historic streak with a sweep of the Miners in 2018 — a full-circle moment that saw UTEP "flip the script" in dramatic fashion.
In Saturday's rematch, WKU responded with a sweep of its own to hand UTEP its first league loss of the season. The Miners battled back from early deficits but fell 25–22, 25–16, 25–15 to move to 19–3 overall and 9–1 in CUSA play.
NATIONAL RECOGNITION
UTEP continues to gain national attention, earning votes in the latest AVCA/Taraflex Coaches Poll this week. The Miners also achieved an RPI of 24.
OFFENSIVE FIREPOWER
UTEP continues to swing efficiently, ranking eighth nationally with a .296 hitting percentage. Three Miners are hitting above the team average (minimum 120 kills), led by Kaya Weaver (.420), who continues to top Conference USA and ranks 16th nationally after missing four matches. Danika Washington (.342), Landry Braziel (.306), and Sara Pustahija (.303) also provide consistent production.
The Miners have hit above .300 as a team in 10 matches this season — including two outings over .400 (.459 vs. Oral Roberts, .400 vs. NM State).
BLOCK PARTY
The Miners' front line has been a force with 182.0 total blocks on the year, reaching double digits in 10 matches and posting a season-high 14 against Louisiana Tech. UTEP has out-blocked its opponents 182–134, anchored by Danika Washington's team-leading 74.0 total blocks.
BALANCED ATTACK
UTEP's offense is spreading the wealth with four players averaging over 2.0 kills per set (minimum 140 kills): Torrance Lovesee (2.96), Kaya Weaver (2.57), Sara Pustahija (2.44), and Landry Braziel (2.21).
Lovesee, Pustahija, and Braziel have started all 22 matches, with Lovesee and Pustahija appearing in all 73 sets. As a unit, the Miners average 13.62 kills per set, ranking 38th nationally.
CHAMPS CHECKED
Three of UTEP's nine victories this season have come against defending conference champions and 2024 NCAA Tournament teams: Sacramento State (Big Sky), Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (Southland), and Texas State (Sun Belt). The Miners also added a win over Arizona on Sept. 16, the reigning NIVC champion.
NEW RECORD WHO DIS?
Sophomore outside hitter Landry Braziel delivered a record-breaking performance in UTEP's sweep of Oral Roberts on Sept. 13 to close out the Sun City Classic. Braziel hit .846 with 11 kills on 13 error-free swings, marking the best hitting percentage in program history for a three-set match with at least 10 kills.
1K KILL CLUB
Torrance Lovesee became the 14th Miner to eclipse 1,000 career kills at UTEP. She reached the milestone with a 17-kill performance against Arizona and now stands at 1,127 career kills, ranking seventh in program history.
HEAVY HITTERS
UTEP's season high in kills came in a four-set match against Arizona (61) — the most in a single match this year. The Miners' top three-set performance was 47 kills in their sweep of Western Kentucky. Six Miners have surpassed the 100-kill mark this season, with Lovesee leading the way at 216.
HOT START IN CONFERENCE
UTEP's 9–1 start in Conference USA marks just the second time in program history the Miners have dropped only one match through 10 league contests (1984, 2025).
HISTORY AGAINST POWER CONFERENCES
UTEP has now defeated a Power Conference opponent in three consecutive seasons, matching the longest such streak in program history (1983–85). The Miners have earned notable wins over Iowa State (2024), Washington and Clemson (2023), and Northwestern and Arizona (2021). Prior to head coach Ben Wallis's arrival in 2019, UTEP had not beaten a Power 5 opponent since 2005.
IN THE CUSA SPOTLIGHT
- Weaver was named Conference USA Co-Defensive Player of the Week in Week 5 after leading the Miners to a 2-0 start in league play. Weaver anchored the net with 12 blocks (1.71/set), including three solo, in back-to-back wins at Sam Houston. She also chipped in four digs and an ace while contributing offensively with 19 kills (2.71/set) on a .300 hitting percentage, showcasing a two-way impact in UTEP's undefeated weekend.
- Setter Kalia Kohler was named CUSA Setter of the Week in Week 2. The honor is her 11th career weekly award, setting the program record for the most all-time. Kohler also becomes just the fifth Miner setter to earn a solo weekly honor from the conference.
- Setter Duo Honored: Mattie Gantt and Kalia Kohler earned the first 2025 C-USA Co-Setter of the Week award. The pair combined for 110 assists over 10 sets in Sacramento, while also adding digs, aces, and kills to fuel the Miners' .310 team hitting percentage. This marks the sixth career co-award for the duo.
- Weaver Headlines Preseason Team: Middle blocker Kaya Weaver was named the 2025 Conference USA Preseason Player of the Year, leading a league-best four UTEP honorees on the Preseason All-CUSA Team. She was joined by Ema Uskokovic, Sara Pustahija, and Danika Washington. The Miners were picked second in the preseason poll, earning four first-place votes.
MINER RANKINGS
UTEP sits among the NCAA's top 50 in multiple statistical categories:
- 8th – Hitting Percentage (.296)
- 8th – Match W-L Percentage (.864)
- 15th – Opponent Hitting Percentage (.163)
- 35th – Assists per Set (12.67)
- 38th – Kills per Set (13.62)
- 43rd – Aces per Set (1.78)
- 49th – Blocks per Set (2.49)
The Miners lead CUSA in opponent hitting percentage, match win percentage, and blocks per set. Individually, Weaver still leads CUSA in hitting percentage (.420), Kalia Kohler ranks seventh in aces per set (0.39), Washington ranks seventh in blocks per set (1.00), and Fuka Sekita sits ninth in total digs (263).
SERIES HISTORY: UTEP VS. MISSOURI STATE
UTEP and Missouri State have met once before, with the Bears taking the lone matchup in straight sets on Sept. 14, 1990, in Las Cruces, N.M.
BY THE NUMBERS
- Sets Played: UTEP – 73 (22 matches); Missouri State – 80 (21 matches)
- Conference Records: UTEP (9–1, 1st), Missouri State (5–5, 7th)
- National RPI: UTEP – 24, Missouri State – 205
- AVCA Coaches Poll: UTEP is receiving votes (Oct. 27)
SCOUTING MISSOURI STATE
- Missouri State enters the weekend 10–11 overall and 5–5 in CUSA, riding a five-match win streak.
- The Bears rank among the league's best defensively — leading CUSA in digs per set (14.75), second in total blocks (192.5), and third in blocks per set (2.41).
- Lizanyela Lopez leads the conference in total blocks (97) and blocks per set (1.28), ranking 48th and 51st nationally. Offensively, Peyton McKee paces the Bears with 215 kills (3.03/set, .258 hitting percentage), while Rossana Papa (454 assists) and Hannah Gardner (322) share setting duties. Brooke Eslinger leads with 19 aces and 205 digs, and Lopez anchors the front line defensively.
- As a team, Missouri State is hitting .226 and has topped .300 four times this season, highlighted by a .375 mark against Louisiana Tech.
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