UTEP Athletics

UTEP Beach Volleyball Heads to the Big Easy for Bayou Beach Duals

3/12/2026 3:00:00 PM

EL PASO, Texas – UTEP beach volleyball returns this weekend as the Miners travel to New Orleans, Louisiana, for the Bayou Beach Duals, hosted by Tulane on March 13–14.

UTEP will open the tournament Friday with duals against Southeastern Louisiana and host Tulane. The Miners close the weekend Saturday with rematches against Texas A&M–Kingsville and McNeese.

Schedule

Last Time Out: Cactus Classic

Two weeks ago, UTEP competed in the Cactus Classic at Bear Down Beach in Tucson, Arizona, facing a challenging slate of nationally ranked opponents.

The Miners fell 5-0 to No. 20 Arizona and No. 17 Grand Canyon on day one before closing the tournament Saturday with dual losses to Oregon and No. 17 Grand Canyon. Despite the final scores, UTEP battled throughout the weekend with multiple matches pushing to decisive third sets.

At the top position, Paulina Acuna and Madison Hill highlighted the effort with three-set contests against several ranked opponents, including Arizona and Grand Canyon. Kennedy Llewellyn and Mila Popovic also forced a deciding set against the Lopes, while several other courts produced tightly contested sets against elite competition.

Pairs to Watch

Several Miner tandems enter the weekend with strong early-season performances and valuable experience against top-tier competition.

Madison Hill / Paulina Acuna (4-4, Courts 1–2)
The top pairing has been one of UTEP's most competitive duos this season. Hill and Acuna went 0-4 at the Cactus Classic while competing on Court 1 against nationally ranked opponents but pushed several matches deep, including three-set battles against No. 20 Arizona and No. 17 Grand Canyon on day one. The duo also forced a third set against Oregon on day two before falling in straight sets to No. 17 GCU. Earlier in the season, the pair dropped just one set during a strong weekend that included a three-set win over ULM and sweeps of Sam Houston, McNeese and Texas A&M–Kingsville.

Kennedy Llewellyn / Mila Popovic (3-4, Courts 2–5)
Llewellyn and Popovic have competed across multiple flights this season. At the Cactus Classic, the duo went 0-4 between Courts 3 and 2 while facing nationally ranked competition. On day one, they dropped a straight-set decision to No. 20 Arizona before pushing No. 17 Grand Canyon to three sets on Court 3. On day two, the pair fell in straight sets to Oregon before moving up to Court 2 and again forcing a three-set battle against No. 17 GCU. Earlier in the season, they earned a sweep over ULM, a three-set victory against McNeese and a straight-set win over Texas A&M–Kingsville.

Averie Threet / Iana Loera (2-6, Courts 3–4)
Threet and Loera opened the season with wins over ULM (2-0) and Sam Houston (2-1). At the Cactus Classic, the tandem competed on Court 4 throughout the weekend, facing a difficult slate against nationally ranked opponents. The pair dropped straight-set matches against No. 20 Arizona and No. 17 Grand Canyon on day one, followed by straight-set losses to Oregon and No. 17 GCU on day two.

Series History

Southeastern Louisiana – UTEP leads the series 1-0. The lone meeting came during the Miners' inaugural season in 2023, when UTEP earned a 3-2 victory on March 15.
RV Tulane – Tulane leads the series 1-0 after sweeping the Miners in the 2023 CUSA Championship tournament on April 28.
Texas A&M–Kingsville – Series tied 1-1. The Javelinas defeated UTEP 3-2 earlier this season on Feb. 21.
McNeese – Series tied 1-1. The Cowgirls also edged the Miners 3-2 on Feb. 21 in the season-opening weekend.

Scouting the Field

Southeastern Louisiana (2-7)
The Lady Lions return to the sand after finishing 2-1 at the Pontchartrain Beach Bash last weekend in New Orleans. Southeastern fell to conference foe New Orleans before bouncing back with wins over McNeese and the College of Charleston. Fifth-year senior Makayla Hicks and freshman Cadie Kusy have been a key spark, holding a 3-0 record on Court 4 this season.

RV Tulane (6-7)
Tulane is receiving votes in the latest AVCA Coaches Poll and hosts a strong field in New Orleans. The Green Wave went 1-3 last weekend at the Chanticleer Challenge. Skylar Ensign and Molly Trodd lead the team with a 9-4 record at the second flight, while Emma Morris and Katie Hansen are 7-6 at the top position. Gigi Gallegos and Avery Burks also hold a 7-4 mark overall and are 5-2 at the fourth flight.

Texas A&M–Kingsville (9-2)
The Javelinas have been one of the most consistent teams on the sand this spring, carrying a 9-2 record into the weekend. TAMUK already owns wins over Nicholls, UTEP and Central Arkansas this season. Rylan Pollard recently set the program record for wins at flight one with her 43rd career victory and now has 47 overall. Teammates Liana Huesca (51 career wins) and Kalani Vasquez (60 career wins) also rank among the program's all-time leaders.

McNeese (9-2)
McNeese enters the weekend after competing at the Big Easy Beach Invitational, where weather forced schedule adjustments. The Cowgirls secured their first program win over the College of Charleston before dropping their first Southland Conference match to Southeastern Louisiana and finishing the weekend with a victory over New Orleans.

Give a gift to UTEP Beach Volleyball by donating to the BVB Gift Fund.

For complete coverage of UTEP Beach Volleyball, be sure to follow the Miners on social media at UTEP Beach Volleyball (Facebook), @utepbeachvb (Instagram) and @UTEPBeachVB (X) or visit the official home of UTEP Athletics at UTEPMiners.com.

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