UTEP Volleyball Lands Four on CUSA Preseason Team; Weaver Named Preseason Player of the Year
DALLAS, Texas (KVIA) -- UTEP’s Kaya Weaver was named the 2025 Conference USA Preseason Player of the Year and headlined a league-best four Miners selected to the Preseason All-CUSA Team, the league announced Thursday. In addition, UTEP was picked to finish second in the 12-member conference, receiving four first-place votes in the preseason coaches poll.
Weaver was joined on the 12-player preseason team by outside hitter Ema Uskokovic, outside hitter Sara Pustahija, and middle blocker Danika Washington, giving UTEP the most honorees of any school in the conference. UTEP was also picked second in the preseason coaches poll, garnering four first-place votes and finishing just four points behind WKU.
This marks the fifth consecutive season UTEP has placed multiple players on the preseason team, and the four total selections are the most in program history. Weaver and Washington earned back-to-back preseason nods (2024 & 2025), becoming just the third and fourth Miners to achieve that distinction, joining alumni Alianza Darley (2022–23) and Serena Patterson (2021–22).
Kaya Weaver – Preseason Player of the Year / Preseason All-CUSA Team
Weaver enters her senior year as one of the most dominant front-row players in the country after a historic junior campaign that propelled UTEP to its first-ever NCAA Tournament berth. The 2024 CUSA Defensive Player of the Year started all 33 matches and led the Miners with 151 blocks (1.31/set) while hitting .439—ranking 7th nationally and 1st in CUSA. She added 279 kills, 27 aces, and 393 points while anchoring a defense that finished 13th nationally in blocks per set (2.76) and an offense that ranked 8th in hitting percentage (.287). An All-Region honoree and AVCA/VolleyballMag All-America Honorable Mention, Weaver collected 23 solo blocks, 12 double-digit kill matches, and three CUSA Player of the Week honors in 2024.
Danika Washington – Preseason All-CUSA Team
A veteran two-way force, Washington started 32 matches in 2024 and produced 191 kills (.374) while adding 114 blocks. She recorded a school-record .867 hitting percentage (13 kills, 0 errors, 15 attempts) in a win at Liberty and reached the 1,000 career point milestone that same weekend. Washington was a 2024 All-CUSA Second Team selection and All-Tournament honoree at the South Dakota Classic, helping UTEP finish among the nation’s leaders in hitting percentage, blocking, and opponent hitting percentage while posting a 27-6 record.
Ema Uskokovic – Preseason All-CUSA Team
Uskokovic established herself as a true six-rotation threat last fall, leading the Miners in kills (354), points (457), and aces (48), while hitting .281 with 205 digs and 98 blocks. She logged 21 double-digit kill matches and ranked second in CUSA and 48th nationally in total aces, powering UTEP to the NCAA lead in service aces (263). A 2024 All-CUSA First Team pick, All-Tournament MVP at the Southwest Showdown, and CSC Academic All-District honoree.
Sara Pustahija – Preseason All-CUSA Team
Pustahija emerged as a reliable option in UTEP’s balanced lineup, appearing in 110 sets with 21 starts. She finished with 202 kills (.265), 66 blocks, and 242 points, highlighted by 12 kills against WKU and a season-high .391 efficiency against Iowa State. Pustahija also delivered a 5-block performance in UTEP’s NCAA Tournament debut against Oklahoma. Off the court, she was named to the 2024 CSC Academic All-District Team.
2025 CUSA Preseason Player of the Year
Kaya Weaver, UTEP
2025 CUSA Preseason All-Conference Team
Anna Logan Gillens, Delaware
Mandi Morioka, FIU
Kayla Williams, Jax State
Olivia Burrage, Kennesaw State
Manu Johnsen, Kennesaw State
Sara Pustahija, UTEP
Ema Uskokovic, UTEP
Danika Washington, UTEP
Kaya Weaver, UTEP
Callie Bauer, WKU
Alivia Skidmore, WKU
Izzy Van De Wiele, WKU
Predicted Order of Finish
| Rank | School (first-place votes) | Total |
| 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. | WKU (8) UTEP (4) Delaware Kennesaw State NM State Liberty FIU Sam Houston Missouri State Middle Tennessee Jacksonville State Louisiana Tech | 118 114 87 85 82 73 50 49 45 44 33 12 |
