EL PASO, Texas – The 97th and 98th editions of the Battle of I-10 are set for October 10-11, as (RV) UTEP Volleyball travels to Las Cruces, N.M., to face rival NM State at the Pan American Center. Both teams enter the weekend undefeated in Conference USA play. Each match will be streamed on ESPN+.
SCHEDULE
LAST TIME OUT
UTEP continued its dominant start to league play with a pair of sweeps over Liberty at Club Memorial. On Friday, the Miners controlled the pace from start to finish, claiming a 3-0 victory behind steady offense and a strong presence at the net. UTEP held off late rallies to take the first two sets, 25-21 and 25-23, before closing out the match with a 25-18 win.
The Miners completed the sweep again on Saturday in front of 1,350 fans, improving to 14-2 overall and 4-0 in CUSA. UTEP has now won five straight matches, marking the second consecutive season the team has started 14-2 and opened league play undefeated through four contests. After another tight first set (25-23) and second frame (25-21), UTEP surged past the Lady Flames with a dominant 25-12 finish.
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 25, the lowest (best) in program history, reflecting their strong non-conference and league performances.
OFFENSIVE FIREPOWER
The Miners are hitting .300 as a team, ranking among the nation's elite in efficiency. Kaya Weaver leads the squad with a .409 hitting percentage, followed by Landry Braziel at .337 and Danika Washington at .384 (87 kills). UTEP has surpassed .300 hitting in eight matches this season, including a season-best .459 performance against Oral Roberts on September 13.
BLOCK PARTY
UTEP has amassed 136.0 total blocks and has posted double-digit blocks in seven matches. The Miners registered a season-high 12 blocks against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Oral Roberts, and Sam Houston. UTEP holds a 136-96 blocking advantage over opponents. Washington leads the team with 58.0 total blocks (1.09 per set).
BALANCED ATTACK
UTEP features a well-distributed offense, with four players averaging at least 2.0 kills per set and surpassing 100 kills. Torrance Lovesee leads with 2.85 kills per set, followed by Weaver (2.56), Sara Pustahija (2.40), and Braziel (2.29). Lovesee and Pustahija have appeared in all 57 sets, helping the Miners average 13.81 kills per set as a team.
RECEPTION EXCELLENCE
Sara Pustahija owns a 2.42 receive rating on the VolleyMetrics 3-point scale, ranking 3rd among NCAA outside hitters with at least 25 attempts against Power 4 and Top-50 programs.
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 1,062 career kills, ranking eighth in program history.
HEAVY HITTERS
UTEP's season-high team kill total is 61 against Arizona, the most in a four-set match this season. The Miners' top three-set performance came in the opener versus Sacramento State with 45 kills. Lovesee was the first Miner to reach 100 kills this season and leads with 151, followed by Weaver (128), Pustahija (127), and Braziel (117).
THROUGH 16
This season marks just the sixth time UTEP has suffered only two losses through its first 14 matches (2025, 2024, 1985). The Miners' setbacks came against No. 24 UCLA (3-0) on September 11 and No. 10 SMU (3-1) on September 19.
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 ranks among the NCAA's top 50 in several categories: sixth in hitting percentage (.300), seventh in match win percentage (.875), 10th in opponent hitting percentage (.155), 24th in assists per set (12.83), 28th in kills per set (13.81), and 36th in blocks per set (2.57).
Individually, Weaver leads CUSA and ranks 30th nationally in hitting percentage (.409). Braziel is third in the league at .337. Washington is fifth in CUSA in blocks per set (1.08) and total blocks (57.0). Libero Fuka Sekita ranks fifth in digs per set (3.85) and total digs (200).
BATTLE OF I-10 SERIES
This weekend marks the 97th and 98th meetings between UTEP and NM State. The Aggies lead the all-time series, 68-27-1 (223-113 in sets), including a 33-11-1 edge in Las Cruces. Since 2019, UTEP holds a 5-4 advantage, going 3-2 in El Paso and 2-2 in Las Cruces. Last season, UTEP swept the regular-season series before falling in five sets to NM State in the CUSA Tournament semifinals.
WIN STREAKS
UTEP enters the weekend on a five-match win streak, while NM State has won four straight.
SETS PLAYED
UTEP has played 53 sets across 16 matches this season. NM State has played 66 sets through 17 contests.
CUSA STANDINGS
UTEP and NM State are two of three undefeated teams in CUSA, joined by WKU. The Miners sit atop the standings, followed by WKU and NM State, respectively.
SCOUTING NM STATE
- NM State enters the rivalry at 11-6 overall and 4-0 in CUSA.
- The Aggies are undefeated at home (5-0)
- NM State leads the league in service aces (126, 12th NCAA) and total blocks (148.0, 37th NCAA).
- Maggie Lightheart is a standout, ranking fourth nationally in total aces (40), 12th in aces per set (0.62), third in CUSA in points (248.0), fifth in total attacks (586), and 12th in total digs (180).
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