One-on-one with UTEP’s Ben Wallis; Miners prepare for home opener against #24 UCLA

EL PASO, Texas - UTEP Volleyball returns to the Sun City this weekend for its 2025 home opener, hosting the Sun City Classic September 11-13 at Club Memorial.

The Miners (6-0) welcome nationally ranked No. 24 UCLA, along with Texas Southern and Oral Roberts, for a three-day tournament. 

The Orange and Blue will take the floor at 6 p.m. Thursday against UCLA, marking just the fourth time in program history a nonconference nationally-ranked opponent will visit El Paso. 

UTEP then meets Texas Southern at 2:30 p.m. Friday before closing the weekend against Oral Roberts at 12:30 p.m. Saturday. 

OFFENSIVE FIREPOWER   

UTEP has been efficient and explosive offensively, hitting .307 as a team, a mark that ranks 12th nationally and first in Conference USA. Five Miners are swinging above .300, including Danika Washington (.333) and Kaya Weaver (.382), who both have 30+ kills. 

  BLOCK PARTY    

The Miners have established themselves at the net with 46.0 team blocks through six matches. Washington leads the group with 21.0 rejections, while five Miners are already in double figures. UTEP’s season-high 12 blocks came against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Sept. 4. In comparison, UTEP’s opponents have combined for just 39.0 blocks this season. 

  BALANCED ATTACK   

Four Miners are averaging more than 2.0 kills per set with at least 30 total kills: Torrance Lovesee (3.50), Weaver (2.50), Braziel (2.33), and Sara Pustahija (2.20). Each has already surpassed the 40-kill mark on the young season. 

  MINERS IN TOURNAMENT PLAY   

UTEP has finished undefeated in 38 tournaments in program history. The Miners have won multiple tournaments in a season 11 times, most recently in 2024. Of those, five seasons have included back-to-back tournament sweeps, last accomplished in 2021. 

  FAST STARTS   

• UTEP is 6-0 to open the season for the fifth time in program history and second under Wallis. 
• Prior to his arrival, it had only happened three times (1988, 2005, 2011). 
• The school’s best start remains 8-0, set in 1988 and matched in 2011. 
• Three of UTEP’s six 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). 

  EYEING HISTORY vs. RANKED FOES  

The Miners will seek their first-ever win over a nationally ranked opponent Thursday against UCLA. UTEP is 0-22 all-time versus the Top 25, with all matches occurring since 2003. The Miners have managed to take at least one set in four of those contests. 

The Bruins become just the fourth nationally ranked nonconference opponent to visit El Paso, joining Texas A&M (2016), Colorado State (2014), and BYU (2014).