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UTEP Volleyball Heads to NCAA Tournament, Draws UNC

12/3/2025 4:00:00 PM

EL PASO, Texas – UTEP Volleyball (25–4) earned the No. 6 seed and secured just the second NCAA Tournament berth in program history. The Miners are set to face nationally-ranked North Carolina in the First Round on Thursday, December 4, at 3:30 p.m. MT / 4:30 p.m. CT at the UW Field House on the campus of the University of Wisconsin in Madison.

MATCH COVERAGE

Match 1: (6) UTEP vs. North Carolina | Dec. 4 | 3:30 pm MT / 4:30 pm CT
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Watch: ESPN+
Location: Madison, Wisconsin | UW Field House

OFFENSIVE FIREPOWER    

UTEP enters the NCAA Tournament with one of the nation's most efficient offenses, hitting .301 as a team, a mark that ranks eighth nationally. Two active Miners with at least 170 kills are hitting above .300—Danika Washington leads the squad at .366 (172 kills), followed by Landry Braziel at .303 (200 kills). UTEP has recorded a hitting percentage above .300 in 14 matches this season, including two outings above .400. The Miners' best performance came against Oral Roberts on Sept. 13, when they hit a blistering .459.

BLOCK PARTY     

The Miners have been a dominant blocking team, totaling 249.0 blocks entering postseason play. UTEP has registered double-digit blocks 13 times this season, highlighted by a season-high 14-block effort against Louisiana Tech. The Miners have out-blocked their opponents 249–182, asserting a key defensive advantage at the net. Washington continues her standout two-way play, pacing the team with 104.0 total blocks (1.07 per set).

BALANCED ATTACK     

UTEP's offensive depth has been a cornerstone of its success. Three active Miners with at least 200 kills are averaging 2.0 kills per set or more—Torrance Lovesee (3.30 k/s), Sara Pustahija (2.61 k/s), and Braziel (2.11 k/s). Lovesee and Pustahija have started all 29 matches and appeared in all 97 sets while surpassing 250 kills on the year. As a unit, UTEP averages 13.78 kills per set, ranking 26th nationally.

CHAMPS CHECKED       
Four of UTEP's 23 victories this season have come against defending conference champions and 2024 NCAA Tournament teams: Sacramento State (Big Sky), Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (Southland), Texas State (Sun Belt), Western Kentucky (CUSA). 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 1,218 career kills, ranking fifth in program history.    

HEAVY HITTERS      

UTEP's season high for total kills is 65 against Kennesaw State, which also stands as its most kills in a four-set match. The Miners' best three-set output was 47 kills in their sweep of Western Kentucky. Three Miners have surpassed the 200-kill mark this season, with Lovesee leading at 320 kills, followed by Pustahija at 253, and Braziel at 200.

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.  

CUSA POSTSEASON HONORS

Head Coach Ben Wallis was named CUSA Coach of the Year for the first time in his career after guiding the Miners to a 25–3 overall record, a 15–1 conference slate, and the program's first regular-season championship. UTEP also received 49 votes in the latest AVCA/Taraflex Coaches Poll and reached an all-time-best RPI of 15.

Three Miners earned First Team All-Conference honors—Torrance Lovesee, Sara Pustahija, and Danika Washington — while Kalia Kohler and Kaya Weaver were named to the Second Team.

IN THE CUSA SPOTLIGHT         

  • Pustahija earned Conference USA Defensive Player of the Week on Week 12 after powering UTEP to two sweeps over FIU. She finished the weekend with 18 kills on .309 hitting, seven blocks (including two solos), nine digs, two aces, and a team-high 24.5 points (4.08 per set). Her two-way impact helped UTEP hold FIU to a .203 hitting percentage.
  • Lovesee was named Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week in Week 11. She delivered 37 kills (5.29 k/s) while hitting .400 in the weekend sweep at Kennesaw State. Her 22 kills Friday set a new career high. This is her fourth career CUSA weekly honor.
  • The Miners also claimed Conference USA Co-Setter of the Week honors in Week 11 behind the combined efforts of
    Kalia Kohler and Mattie Gantt who orchestrated UTEP's 6-2 offense with precision. The duo totaled 84 assists (12 per set) across the two matches, guiding the Miners to a .298 team hitting percentage while adding a combined 29 digs. Kohler finished the weekend with 48 assists and 13 digs, while Gantt added 36 assists and 16 digs. The recognition marks Kohler's 12th career CUSA weekly honor and Gantt's eighth.
  • Washington was named Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week in Week 10 after an exceptional showing against Missouri State. Washington posted 21 kills on 32 error-free swings for an incredible .656 hitting percentage, while adding a team-high 10 blocks. She averaged 2.63 kills, 1.25 blocks, and 3.25 points per set across the series.
  • 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 enters the NCAA Tournament ranked in the national top 30 in multiple categories:

  • 8th in hitting percentage (.301) and match win-loss percentage (.862)
  • 24th in opponent hitting percentage (.174) and assists per set (12.90)
  • 26th in kills per set (13.78)
  • 28th in aces per set (1.81)
  • 31st in blocks per set (2.57)

Individually, Washington ranks 60th nationally in hitting percentage (.366).

UTEP VS. NORTH CAROLINA

This matchup marks the second all-time meeting between UTEP and North Carolina. The only previous meeting came in 1983, when UNC swept the Miners at the Texas Centennial Open in Austin.

The programs now meet again 41 years later on the NCAA stage.

NATIONAL RPI
UTEP – No. 16
North Carolina – No. 49

SCOUTING NORTH CAROLINA

North Carolina enters the NCAA Tournament with a 21–8 record and a second consecutive NCAA bid. This marks the first time since 2010–16 that the Tar Heels have reached the tournament in back-to-back seasons. In his third year at UNC, head coach Mike Schall guided the Tar Heels to a 14–6 ACC record and a peak ranking of No. 15 in the AVCA Poll.

UNC holds a 16–19 all-time NCAA Tournament record, including a 12–4 record in the first round since the field expanded to 64 teams. The Tar Heels' deepest postseason run was an Elite Eight appearance in 2014.

Three players earned All-ACC recognition: Safi Hampton (First Team), and Chelsea Thorpe and Maddy May (Second Team).

The Tar Heels excel defensively and rank among the NCAA's best: 5th in blocks per set (2.92), 8th in total blocks (321), 17th in opponent hitting percentage (.169), 45th in win-loss percentage (.724)

Individually, four UNC players rank in the national top 150:

  • Lauren Schutter – 19th in blocks/set (1.44), 71st in total blocks (127)
  • Jackie Taylor – 24th in blocks/set (1.41), 17th in total blocks (152)
  • Maddy May – 121st in total digs (423), 138th in digs/set (3.85)
  • Safi Hampton – 135th in total kills (302), 149th in kills/set (3.53)
     

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