UTEP Athletics

2025 Season Review

1/9/2026 12:00:00 PM

2025 Season in Review

Overall Record: 25-5
CUSA Record: 15-1 (0.9375 W% - Program Record)
NCAA RPI: 15 (Program Best)
NCAA Tournament: At-Large Bid, No. 6 Seed
Home Attendance Record: 3,105 vs. UCLA (regular season)

The 2025 season will be remembered as a watershed year for UTEP Volleyball—one defined by consistency, confidence, and historic achievement on both the conference and national stages.

Expectations were high entering the fall, and the Miners embraced them from the outset. Kaya Weaver was named Conference USA Preseason Player of the Year, headlining a league-best four preseason all-conference selections, as UTEP was picked to finish second in the preseason poll.

FAST START AND TOURNAMENT DOMINANCE

The Miners opened the season with six straight victories, sweeping through the Sacramento State Invitational and Southwest Showdown to claim back-to-back tournament titles. Along the way, UTEP showcased its depth and balance, earning early conference honors behind the steady play of setters Mattie Gantt and Kalia Kohler and the all-around dominance of Weaver.

NON-CONFERENCE STATEMENT WINS

Nonconference play further established the Miners as a national threat. UTEP opened the year 10–2, collecting wins over Arizona, Stephen F. Austin, and multiple regional opponents while suffering only narrow losses to nationally ranked UCLA and SMU.

Individual milestones punctuated the stretch, including Torrance Lovesee eclipsing 1,000 career kills and Landry Braziel setting a program record with a .846 hitting percentage in a three-set match. By the time Conference USA play began, UTEP had already proven it could win in multiple ways—through elite defense at the net, efficient offense, and composure in high-pressure environments.

CONFERENCE USA RUN TO HISTORY

Once league play began, the Miners elevated even further. UTEP opened conference action with dominant road sweeps and quickly established itself as the team to beat. A perfect 9–0 start in CUSA included rivalry sweeps of New Mexico State and a statement road victory over Western Kentucky that snapped the Hilltoppers' 100-match Conference USA regular-season winning streak—a moment that symbolized the Miners' arrival as a conference power. UTEP remained receiving votes for much of the season, pairing national recognition with sustained league excellence.

RECORDS, RECOGNITION, AND LATE-SEASON PUSH

As the calendar turned to November, UTEP continued to build its résumé. The Miners reached 20 wins for the fourth time under head coach Ben Wallis, set a program record with 10 road victories, and matched the best conference record in school history at 13–1.

Senior leadership and middle presence powered the late-season push, with Danika Washington, Lovesee, and Sara Pustahija earning multiple conference honors as UTEP closed the regular season with back-to-back sweeps of FIU.

CHAMPIONSHIPS AND NATIONAL RESPECT

That final weekend sealed history. UTEP finished the regular season at 25–3 overall and 15–1 in Conference USA play, capturing the first regular-season conference championship in program history and earning the No. 1 seed in the CUSA Tournament. Wallis was named Conference USA Coach of the Year, while five Miners collected all-conference recognition as the program posted a program-best RPI of 15.

POSTSEASON EXPERIENCE AND LASTING IMPACT

Although the Miners' conference tournament run ended earlier than hoped, the body of work spoke for itself. UTEP earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament as a No. 6 seed—the second NCAA appearance in program history and the second straight postseason berth. The season concluded in the NCAA First Round against North Carolina, closing a campaign that firmly positioned UTEP among the nation's elite.

The accolades continued beyond the court. Lovesee and Pustahija earned AVCA All-Region honors, four Miners were named CSC Academic All-District, and the El Paso County Commissioners Court formally recognized the program for its historic achievements and national impact.

BY THE NUMBERS

UTEP made waves nationally with elite offensive and defensive metrics, culminating in several top NCAA statistical rankings and new program records.

Team National Rankings (NCAA Division I):

11. Match W-L Pct. (0.833)
11. Hitting % (0.291)
24. Aces per Set (1.83)
29. Assists per Set (12.83)
32. Kills per Set (13.69)
34. Opp Hitting % (0.179)
36. Blocks per Set (2.51)

A NEW STANDARD FOR UTEP VOLLEYBALL

In total, the 2025 Miners delivered one of the most accomplished seasons in UTEP Volleyball history—combining championships, records, national respect, and sustained excellence. It was a year that not only raised banners and expectations, but also set a new standard for what UTEP Volleyball has become.

ACCOLADES

College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District® Team (Dec. 16)	Landry Braziel Kalia Kohler Luvina Oguntimehin Sara Pustahija
American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Southwest All-Region Team (Dec. 9)	Torrance Lovesee (Honorable Mention) Sara Pustahija (Honorable Mention)
All-CUSA Awards (Nov. 19)	Ben Wallis - Coach of the Year Torrance Lovesee - First Team Sara Pustahija - First Team Danika Washington - First Team Kalia Kohler - Second Team Kaya Weaver - Second Team
CUSA Defensive Player of the Week (Nov. 17)	Sara Pustahija
CUSA Players of the Week (Nov. 10)	Torrance Lovesee - Offensive Kalia Kohler - Co-Setter Mattie Gatt - Co-Setter
CUSA Offensive Player of the Week (Nov. 3)	Danika Washington
CUSA Co-Defensive Player of the Week (Sep. 29)	Kaya Weaver
SFA All-Tournament Team (Sep. 20)	Kalia Kohler Sara Pustahija
Sun City Classic All-Tournament Team (Sep. 13)	Landry Braziel Danika Washington Sara Pustahija
CUSA Setter of the Week (Sep. 8)	Kalia Kohler
Southwest Showdown All-Tournament Team (Sep. 6)	Kaya Weaver - MVP Landry Braziel
CUSA Co-Setters of the Week (Sep. 1)	Kalia Kohler Mattie Gantt
Sac State All-Tournament Team (Aug. 31)	Fuka Sekita - MVP Torrance Lovesee Sara Pustahija
CUSA Preseason Awards (Aug. 21)	Kaya Weaver - Preseason Player of the Year; Peseason Team Ema Uskokovic Sara Pustahija Danika Washington

Give a gift to UTEP Women's Volleyball by donating to the Point Miners Club.

Stay up to date with UTEP Volleyball by subscribing to the team's newsletter here.

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.

Print Friendly Version