EL PASO – UTEP volleyball will open its 2024 season at the Utah Classic Friday through Sunday, (Aug. 30-Sep. 1) in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Miners will take on Utah on Friday and Green Bay on Saturday. UTEP will go up against the three-time defending Mountain West Champions, Utah State, on Sunday to wrap up the weekend.
SCHEDULE
Friday, Aug. 30
Match 1 at Utah – 7pm | Stream: ESPN+ | Live Stats
Saturday, Aug. 31
Match 2 vs. Green Bay – 2:30pm | Stream: ESPN+ | Live Stats
Sunday, Sep. 1
Match 3 vs. Utah State – 10am | Stream: ESPN+ | Live Stats
^All Times Mountain Daylight
IN THE MINE SHAFT
The Miners are coming off another winning season in Wallis' fifth year as head coach. The Miners went 25-10 in the 2023 season and finished in the top 50 in eight categories in the NCAA while setting historic program numbers. The team finished second in the country in team service aces (250) and team total blocks (355.5).
Returners
UTEP returned 12 players from last year's team with three who finished in the top 100 nationally while setting historic program numbers. Leading the way are 2023 All-CUSA honorees: first team selection Kaya Weaver and second team selection Danika Washington along with All-Freshman pick Kalia Kohler.
Newcomers
UTEP bolstered its 2024 roster with the addition of six freshmen and one transfer. The incoming true freshmen are Jordan Imperial, Iana Loera, Hannah Crowe, Lauren Perry, Landry Braziel, and Luvina Oguntimehin. Joining them is sophomore transfer Alexis Massey from Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, who competed with UTEP's beach volleyball team in the spring of 2024 before transitioning to the indoor squad.
2024 TOURNAMENTS
The Miners are gearing up for an exciting 2024 season with a series of competitive tournaments. They will begin their campaign at the Utah Classic from August 30-September 1. Next, UTEP will host the Borderland Invitational from September 5 -7 in El Paso. The Miners will then hit the road for the South Dakota Classic from September 13-15. To wrap up their non-conference tournament schedule, UTEP will host the UTEP Southwest Showdown from September 20-22.
PRESEASON ACCOLADES
UTEP's Kaya Weaver and Danika Washington were named to the CUSA Preseason Team as the Miners were tabbed to finish third, as announced by the league's office Aug. 22.
- Weaver had a standout 2023 season, earning All-CUSA First Team honors. She ranked 5th nationally in total blocks (169) and 23rd in blocks per set (1.32), leading CUSA in both categories. Weaver set a program record for season hitting percentage (.383) and block assists (154) while also leading the Miners in attack percentage among players with at least 200 kills, total blocks, solo blocks, and block assists. A two-time CUSA Defensive Player of the Week, Weaver was instrumental in UTEP achieving a No. 2 national ranking in team total blocks and service aces, contributing to program records in total block assists and aces.
- Washington had an impressive 2023 season, earning All-CUSA Second Team honors. She ranked second in CUSA in total blocks (135) and third in blocks per set (1.13), finishing at No. 45 nationally in total blocks. Offensively, Washington ranked second on the team in attack percentage among players with at least 200 kills, while defensively, she was second in block assists, total blocks, and blocks per set. A two-time CUSA Defensive Player of the Week, Washington played a key role in UTEP achieving a No. 2 national ranking in team total blocks and helped set a program record for total block assists.
THE OPPONENTS
Utah
- Beth Launiere, one of the longest tenured head coaches in NCAA Volleyball, is in her 35th season at the helm of the Utah volleyball program in the fall of 2024.
- Launiere guided freshman Kamryn Gibadlo to All-Pac-12 Freshman team honors. Gibadlo ended her first season as a Ute in the top 30 in the Pac-12 with 2.61 kills per set. Off the court, Kamry Bailey, Viktoria Wahlgren, Allie Olsen and Emily Smith were named College Sports Communicators Academic All-District selections.
- Senior Lauren Jardine was named to the Big 12 Volleyball Preseason Team and the Utes were projected ninth out of 15 teams, heading into their first season of Big 12 competition.
- Last season, Utah Volleyball finished 4th in the Pac-12 in aces per set (1.62) and 72nd in the nation in team service aces (189), with a standout performance from Allie Olsen, who ranked 92nd nationally in hitting percentage (0.346).
- Utah leads the all-time series 24-3. The last meeting between the Miners and Utes was in 1998.
Green Bay
- Head coach Abbey Sutherland enters her seventh season at the helm of the Green Bay Volleyball program, holding a 99-75 record before the 2024 season started. GB's first win of the season will be Sutherland's 100th as Phoenix head coach.
- The Green Bay Phoenix volleyball team was selected fourth in the 2024 Under Armour preseason poll, while Wright State was picked as the conference favorite. Last season, Green Bay finished second in the Horizon League and fell to Wright State in the Horizon League Championship game.
- Last season, Green Bay Volleyball finished 2nd in the Horizon League in team service aces (213) and ranked in the top 50 nationally, placing 21st in total attacks, 25th in service aces, and 39th in team digs.
- UTEP leads the all-time series 1-0 with the lone meeting back in 1989 when the Miners swept the Phoenix, 3-0, at the Saint Louis Invitational.
Utah State
- Rob Neilson is in his fifth season as the head coach at Utah State. Neilson was named the 2023 Mountain West Coach of the Year and the AVCA Pacific North Region Coach of the Year after leading Utah State to its third-straight Mountain West title as the Aggies became the outright MW regular season champions after finishing league play 17-1, the most conference wins in program history. USU earned its first-ever at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, marking its second-straight and sixth-ever appearance at the Tournament.
- Utah State volleyball was picked to finish second in the Mountain West preseason coaches' poll, while senior Adna Mehmedovic and junior Tierney Barlow were each named to the all-MW preseason team.
- Last season, Utah State led the Mountain West Conference in match win-loss percentage (.774), finishing 29th nationally.
- Utah State leads the all-time series 11-0. The Miners and Aggies last met in 2002.
"Expectations are high for our program, and we're excited about that," head coach Ben Wallis said. "We embrace the fact that people expect us to be good, and we hold ourselves to that standard as well, so now it's time to go out and earn it. We worked hard in spring to toughen up our team and make us grittier. With a lot of young talent and depth on this roster, I'm looking forward to seeing us compete against three strong teams this weekend, which will test us and reveal what we're capable of. This is our first real test of the season, and I don't expect anything to come easy. I'm eager to see how we respond to these challenges and who will step up to lead this group to big bright thing."
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