DALLAS – UTEP beach volleyball standouts Paulina Acuna and Madison Hill have been named to the 10-member 2026 Conference USA Beach Volleyball All-Academic Team, the league announced Friday. The recognition marks Hill's fourth consecutive All-Academic honor, while Acuna secures her first career selection.

Hill, a graduate student pursuing her master's degree in mechanical engineering, continues to set the standard in the classroom with a perfect 4.0 GPA. A four-time Conference USA All-Academic Team selection, she has also earned CUSA Commissioner's Academic Medalist honors and a place on the Commissioner's Honor Roll in each of her four years. Hill is a two-time recipient of the Thomas Howard Walk-On Student-Athlete and Academic Award and was presented with the prestigious Dr. Louis Robbins Award for Excellence in 2025, given to the student-athlete with the top senior GPA at UTEP.

On the sand, Hill has been equally impactful, competing as part of UTEP's top pair with Acuna. She owns an 11-12 overall record (4-3 CUSA) this season, highlighted by a perfect 4-0 mark on court two during opening weekend.

Acuna, a senior multidisciplinary studies major, boasts a 3.91 GPA and earns her first nod to the Conference USA All-Academic Team. She is a four-time CUSA Commissioner's Academic Medalist and a four-time member of the Commissioner's Honor Roll, underscoring her consistent excellence in the classroom.

Athletically, Acuna has paired with Hill throughout the 2026 season as UTEP's top duo, holding a 12-12 overall record (4-3 CUSA). The pair opened the year in dominant fashion, going a perfect 4-0 on court two during the opening weekend.

Since the program's launch in 2023, UTEP has placed two student-athletes on the Conference USA All-Academic Team each season. Hill has been a constant in all four years (2023–26), and notably, in each season, both Hill and her partner for that year have earned All-Academic Team honors—Serena Patterson in 2023, Summer McDonough in 2024, Ema Uskokovic in 2025 and now Acuna in 2026.

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