UTEP Athletics

Miners Head to Tucson for Cactus Classic Showdowns

2/26/2026 3:30:00 PM

EL PASO, Texas – UTEP beach volleyball (2-2) will return to the sand this weekend, traveling to Tucson, Ariz., for the Cactus Classic, hosted by the University of Arizona at Bear Down Beach, Feb. 27–28.

The Miners will open the tournament Friday against No. 20 Arizona and No. 17 Grand Canyon. UTEP will wrap up the weekend Saturday with matchups against Oregon and a rematch with Grand Canyon.

Schedule

Live Stats

Opening Weekend Recap

UTEP began the 2026 campaign with a 2-2 showing at the Javelina Beach Classic. The Miners earned decisive wins over Louisiana-Monroe (4-1) and Sam Houston (5-0), while both losses came in tightly contested 3-2 decisions against McNeese and Texas A&M-Kingsville.

Pairs to Watch

Several Miner duos enter the weekend with strong early-season performances:

Madison Hill / Paulina Acuna (4-0, Court 2)
The duo dropped just one set all weekend, defeating ULM in three sets and sweeping Sam Houston, McNeese and TAMUK.

Kennedy Llewellyn / Mila Popovic (3-0, Courts 4/5)
The pair earned a sweep over ULM, a three-set win against McNeese and a straight-set victory over TAMUK.

Averie Threet / Iana Loera (2-2, Court 3)
The tandem opened with wins over ULM (2-0) and Sam Houston (2-1) before dropping a pair of three-set decisions to McNeese and TAMUK.

Deni McCalmont / Evelina Krieva (2-1, Courts 4/5)
The pair collected opening-day sweeps over ULM and Sam Houston before falling to TAMUK on day two.

Series History

Arizona: The Wildcats lead the all-time series 5-0. UTEP has claimed three individual match wins against Arizona. Arizona earned two 4-1 victories over the Miners during the 2025 season.

Grand Canyon: The Lopes hold a 3-0 series advantage, including a 5-0 sweep at the 2025 GCU/ASU Tournament.

Oregon: The Ducks lead 1-0, winning the lone meeting 5-0 during UTEP's inaugural season at the 2023 Cactus Classic.

UTEP at the Cactus Classic

UTEP is 1-7 all-time at the Cactus Classic. The program's lone victory came in 2024 with a 3-2 win over Colorado Mesa to open the season.

Scouting the Field

Arizona
The Wildcats went 3-1 at GCU's Canyon Classic with wins over UC Davis, Colorado Mesa and No. 13 Grand Canyon. The No. 2 pair of Ashlyn Zilliken and Madeline Walker led the way with a 3-1 record, including the lone point against No. 5 TCU. The No. 1 duo of Regan Holmer and Carli Cisneros went 2-2, highlighted by a three-set clincher against GCU, while the No. 4 pair of Sophia Winter and Jamie Streit also posted a 3-1 mark.

Grand Canyon
The Lopes finished 1-3 at the Canyon Classic, defeating Colorado Mesa while facing three ranked opponents. The No. 2 pair of Karynn Garrow and Youna Coens and the No. 3 tandem of Rhea Kohl and Mae Manthe both went 2-2. The No. 5 duo of Michael Wittren and Sarah Edler earned the team's point against No. 5 TCU with a straight-set victory.

Oregon
The Ducks posted a 3-2 record at the Green Wave Invitational with wins over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Spring Hill and New Orleans. The No. 3 pair of Gwen Fife and AJ Slojkowski went 4-1, including a sweep of No. 20 Tulane. The No. 4 tandem of Hannah Bjornson and Sofia Taylor finished 3-2, with both losses coming to ranked LSU and Tulane.

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