One-on-one with UTEP’s Ben Wallis; Miners close out volleyball regular season at home vs. FIU

EL PASO, Texas - UTEP Volleyball (23-3, 13-1 Conference USA) returns to Club Memorial to close out the regular season with a two-match home series against FIU (18-9, 12-2 CUSA) on Nov. 14-15.

The Miners welcome the Panthers to the Sun City for a Friday matchup at 6 p.m. (Hero’s Night) followed by Saturday’s 1 p.m. Senior Day finale. Both matches will stream live on ESPN+.

Prior to Saturday’s match, UTEP will recognize the FIU seniors, with the Miners’ Senior Day ceremony to follow after the match.

NATIONAL RECOGNITION     
UTEP continues to gain national attention, earning 35 votes in the latest AVCA/Taraflex Coaches Poll this week (Nov. 10). The Miners also achieved an RPI of 19.

OFFENSIVE FIREPOWER     
UTEP enters the week hitting an impressive .300, with three active Miners at or above the .300 mark (minimum 150 kills). Danika Washington leads the group at .369 with 156 kills, followed by Landry Braziel at .308 with 179 kills.

UTEP’s best hitting performance of the year came against Oral Roberts with a .459 efficiency. The Miners have hit .300-or-better 13 times, including two .400+ matches (Oral Roberts .459; NM State .400).

BLOCK PARTY     
UTEP has totaled 216.0 blocks this season and has recorded double-digit blocks 11 times, highlighted by a season-high 14 against Louisiana Tech. The Miners hold a 216–165 blocking advantage over opponents. Washington leads the defense at the net with a team-best 94.0 total blocks.

SERIES HISTORY: UTEP VS. FIU 
UTEP leads the all-time series 10-3 (24-16 in sets) and has won seven straight over the Panthers. The Miners hold a 5-1 advantage in matches played in El Paso.

BY THE NUMBERS 

• Sets Played: UTEP – 88 (26 matches); FIU – 100 (27 matches) 
• Conference Records: UTEP (13-1, 1st), FIU (12-2, 3rd) 
• National RPI: UTEP – 19, FIU – 89
• AVCA Coaches Poll: UTEP is receiving 35 votes (Nov. 10) 

SCOUTING FIU  

• FIU enters the week 18-9 overall and 12-2 in CUSA, riding a six-match win streak and a 10-match conference win streak.
• The Panthers lead CUSA in digs per set (14.67) and total attempts per set (35.11).
• Offensively, Kira Givans powers the FIU attack, ranking third in CUSA in kills per set (3.55) and points per set (4.00), while also ranking among the league’s leaders in total attempts (922), total kills (344), and total points (388.0).
• Defensively, libero Mandi Marioka leads CUSA with 4.43 digs per set (53rd NCAA) and ranks third in the league with 443 digs (39th NCAA).
• Setter Savannah Cook directs the offense with a league-best 10.11 assists per set (34th NCAA) and ranks second in CUSA with 890 total assists (49th NCAA).
• As a team, FIU hits .241, recording six .300+ matches this season with a high of .330 against Bryant.