UTEP Volleyball Crowned 2025 Conference USA Regular Season Champions

EL PASO, Texas — UTEP Volleyball capped a historic regular season in triumphant fashion, sweeping FIU 3–0 on Saturday afternoon to close out the year as Conference USA Regular Season Champions and secure the No. 1 overall seed heading into next week’s CUSA Tournament. The Miners posted back-to-back sweeps over the Panthers this weekend and celebrated Senior Day inside Club Memorial with one final statement victory.

With the win, UTEP finishes the regular season at 25–3 overall and 15–1 in league play—the program’s best conference finish. The Miners will share the CUSA regular-season crown with WKU.

MATCH SUMMARY

The Miners steadily took over the opening set, using a strong serving run and a series of monster blocks to pull away late for the 25–21 win. Set 2 followed a similar script, as UTEP built an early cushion and held off a late FIU surge before closing out the tight 25–23 frame with back-to-back scoring plays. The Miners then imposed their will in Set 3, jumping ahead early and maintaining full control through a dominant defensive stretch that helped lock down the 25–17 victory.

LEADERBOARD

• A balanced and efficient UTEP lineup carried the afternoon, highlighted by a match-leading 10 kills on .421 hitting from Torrance Lovesee. 
• The setting duo of Kalia Kohler (16) and Mattie Gantt (11) combined for 27 assists, piloting the Miners to a .296 hitting percentage. 'Defensively, Danika Washington controlled the net with a match-high five blocks.
• Sara Pustahija led all players with 13.0 points. 
• Of UTEP’s 75 total points, the Miners earned 54 outright through kills, blocks, and aces.

SPLIT BOX

UTEP held statistical advantages in assists (34–32), aces (6–3), and blocks (11–5). FIU held narrow edges in kills (39–37) and digs (41–29), but the Miners’ defensive efficiency proved decisive as they limited the Panthers to .165 hitting while swinging at a strong .296 clip themselves.

SET-BY-SET

ONE | FIU opened the match with a 3–0 burst, but UTEP quickly settled in and seized momentum behind a flurry of early kills from Danika Washington and Torrance Lovesee. Back-to-back aces from Sara Pustahija sparked a 6–0 run that flipped the set in the Miners’ favor and forced FIU into its first timeout. From there, UTEP’s balanced attack and pressure from the service line kept the Miners in control, with key kills from Hannah Crowe and Landry Braziel building steady separation. FIU made a late push to tie the frame at 14–14, but UTEP countered big plays—highlighted by Crowe, Lovesee, and Washington—and closed on an 7-4 surge. Alexis Massey sealed the opener with an ace as the Miners took the set, 25–21.

TWO | The Miners stormed into Set 2 with a two-kill start from Washington and never slowed down, stringing together an early 8-3 run that included three kills from Luvina Oguntimehin and a pair from Lovesee. FIU was forced into an early timeout, but UTEP continued to dictate the pace with offensive balance and steady point scoring in transition. The Miners pushed their lead to as many as seven, capitalizing on multiple Panther errors and a solo block by Washington. FIU managed a late surge to tie the frame at 23–23, but UTEP showed composure down the stretch—Pustahija delivered the go-ahead kill, then stuffed the set point with a solo block to secure a 25–23 victory and a 2–0 match lead.

THREE | UTEP came out firing again, scoring the first three points thanks to an FIU error, a solo block from Pustahija, and a Panther ball-handling miscue. The Miners continued to apply pressure, extending the lead behind kills from Pustahija, Crowe, and Lovesee, plus a Kohler ace. FIU momentarily tied the set at 11–11, but UTEP immediately responded with another wave of offense, highlighted by back-to-back kills from Lovesee and a series of FIU attack errors. The Miners’ block proved dominant in the closing stretch—Pustahija and Washington combined for multiple stuffs, Massey added another ace, and Oguntimehin chipped in two late kills. Lovesee slammed the door with a solo block on match point, giving UTEP a decisive 25–17 win to complete the sweep.

QUOTABLE

“When we took this program over, winning a regular-season championship was one of the last boxes left to check, and to finally do it for the first time in 51 years of UTEP Volleyball is incredibly special," head coach Ben Wallis said. "To share that moment on senior night, at home, in front of back-to-back 2,000-plus crowds, is something I’ll never forget. This group has battled through so much adversity and still found a way to rise above it every single day—it’s been like watching a Disney movie unfold.

I was stressed all week because it’s so easy to look ahead and lose focus, but our team stayed disciplined. We learned that lesson the hard way last year, and that maturity showed tonight. These seniors are the Mount Rushmore of UTEP Volleyball. Their impact—on the court, statistically, and in our culture—is immeasurable, and I’m incredibly proud of who they’ve become.

Our message moving forward is simple: we’ll treat every match like a one-game championship. We’re prepared, we’re battle-tested, and now we need our fans to get to Miami and help us finish this off.”

UP NEXT: 2025 Conference USA Tournament

UTEP turns its attention to postseason play as FIU hosts the 2025 Conference USA Volleyball Tournament in Miami, Florida, November 21–23. The top-seeded Miners will open the tournament on Friday against No. 8 seed Missouri State at 10 a.m. MT / 12 p.m. ET. All matches will be streamed live on ESPN+.