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UTEP Volleyball Heads to Arizona for Tuesday Night Clash

9/15/2025 6:15:00 PM

EL PASO, Texas – UTEP Volleyball (8-1) hits the road for Tucson, Arizona, to face the Arizona Wildcats on Tuesday, Sept. 16, at McKale Center. First serve is set for 6 p.m. MST/7 p.m. MDT. 

  SCHEDULE    

 DATE  TIME  MATCHUP  WATCH  STATS
Tues. Sept. 16 7 PM UTEP at Arizona ESPN+ Live Stats

^All Times Mountain Daylight     

  MINERS AT A GLANCE   

After three weeks of competition, UTEP carries an 8-1 overall record into Tuesday's matchup. The Miners recently hosted the Sun City Classic at Club Memorial, where they defeated Texas Southern and Oral Roberts in straight sets after falling to nationally ranked No. 24 UCLA in the tournament opener. 

UTEP capped the weekend with a sweep of Oral Roberts, highlighted by a record-setting performance from Landry Braziel. The sophomore 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. Braziel, along with teammates Danika Washington and Sara Pustahija, earned spots on the Sun City Classic All-Tournament Team. 

  OFFENSIVE FIREPOWER    

The Miners enter the week with one of the nation's most efficient attacks. UTEP is hitting .315 as a team, ranking ninth in the NCAA and first in Conference USA. Four Miners with at least 50 kills are hitting above the team mark: Washington (.418), Kaya Weaver (.402), Braziel (.368), and Pustahija (.326). 

  BLOCK PARTY     

UTEP has established itself as one of the better blocking teams in the league, totaling 73.0 blocks through nine matches. The Miners have posted double-digit blocks three times this season, including a season-high 12 against both Texas A&M–Corpus Christi and Oral Roberts. Washington leads the way with 29 total blocks. Collectively, UTEP has outblocked its opponents by a 73-48 margin. 

  BALANCED ATTACK    

The Miners' offense is spread across multiple options, with four players averaging at least 2.0 kills per set (minimum 50 kills). Torrance Lovesee leads the group at 3.03 kills per set, followed by Weaver (2.38), Pustahija (2.34), and Braziel (2.33). All four have started and appeared in every match this season, each surpassing 60 kills already. 

  MINERS AGAINST CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS  

Three of UTEP's eight victories this season have come against defending conference champions and NCAA Tournament teams: Sacramento State (Big Sky), Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (Southland), and Texas State (Sun Belt).  

  STRENGTH vs. POWER CONFERENCE   

UTEP will aim for its third straight season with a win over a power-conference opponent, which would match the program's longest streak from 1983-85. Last season, the Miners swept Big 12 member Iowa State, while in 2023 they toppled then-Pac-12 Washington and ACC foe Clemson. The Wallis era has also included historic wins over Northwestern and Arizona in 2021, which snapped a 20-match skid against power-league programs. 

  IN THE CUSA SPOTLIGHT    

  • 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.   

  NATIONAL & CONFERENCE RANKINGS    

UTEP ranks in the NCAA top 50 in multiple categories, all of which lead Conference USA: 

  • 9th in hitting percentage (.315) 
  • 11th in opponent hitting percentage (.129) 
  • 15th in match win percentage (.889) 

The Miners also sit 20th in assists per set (13.10) and 25th in kills per set (14.03), ranking second in CUSA in both. Individually, Weaver ranks 48th nationally and third in CUSA in hitting percentage (.402). 

  SCOUTING ARIZONA  

  • Arizona enters Tuesday with a 6-2 record.  
  • The Wildcats opened the year with six straight victories, sweeping both the Wildcat Classic and Boise State Classic, before dropping matches to Washington (3-0) and San Diego (3-2) last weekend at the Husky Invitational. 
  • The Wildcats rank top-40 nationally in kills per set (14.45, 12th), hitting percentage (.284, 27th), and assists per set (12.76, 40th).  
  • Setter Avery Scoggins is one of the most productive in the NCAA, ranking seventh in assists per set (11.00).  
  • Outside hitter Jordan Wilson is among the nation's most dangerous scorers, ranking 12th in points per set (5.31) and 19th in kills per set (4.55). 
  • Arizona leads the all-time series 7-4. The programs last met on Sept. 16, 2022, in Tucson, where the Wildcats won 3-1. UTEP's last victory came on Sept. 3, 2021, in Las Cruces, N.M., a five-set thriller. 

Give a gift to UTEP Women's Volleyball by donating to the Point Miners Club.                          
       
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For complete coverage of UTEP Women's Volleyball, be sure to follow the Miners on social media at @utepvb (Instagram), @UTEPVolleyball (Facebook), and @UTEPVB (X) or visit the official home of UTEP Athletics at UTEPMiners.com.         

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