YOUNGSVILLE, Louisiana – UTEP beach volleyball closed out its fourth season of competition at the 2026 Conference USA Beach Volleyball Championship, held at Sugar Beach in Youngsville, Louisiana.
Overall Recap
The No. 7 seed Miners competed in three duals on day one of the tournament. UTEP opened with a 3-0 loss to No. 2 seed UAB, responded with a 3-0 sweep of No. 9 seed Sam Houston to stay alive in the bracket, and ultimately fell 3-0 to No. 3 seed FIU Thursday night to conclude its season.
UTEP finishes the 2026 campaign with an 8-21 overall record and a 3-4 mark in Conference USA play.
UTEP showed resilience throughout the championship, rebounding from an opening loss with a decisive sweep to extend its stay in the bracket. The Miners' ability to respond under pressure highlighted their growth in year four of the program. Despite the season-ending loss to FIU, UTEP demonstrated competitive depth with a full-team victory over Sam Houston and gained valuable postseason experience to build on moving forward.
DUAL 1 (2) UAB 3, (7) UTEP 0
In the opening dual, UAB struck first with a straight-set victory on court four. The Blazers extended their lead to 2-0 with another two-set win on court three before clinching the dual on the top court with a straight-set decision.
Results (Order of Finish: 4, 3, 1)
P1: Olivia Stant and Jasmine Haas (UAB) def. Madison Hill and Paulina Acuna (UTEP) 21-16, 21-13
P2: Pien Grooters and Virginia Voitier (UAB) vs. Mila Popovic and Kennedy Llewellyn (UTEP) 12-21, 21-15, unf
P3: Ava Knott and Olivia Chychrun (UAB) def. Averie Threet and Krista Paegle (UTEP) 21-10, 21-19
P4: Isabel Day and Claudia Stockard (UAB) def. Iana Loera and Emma Schubert (UTEP) 21 10, 21-10
P5: Sadie Sharpe and Ashley Torsone (UAB) vs. Adriana Oporto and Alexa Gonzalez Monreal (UTEP) 23-21, unf
DUAL 2 (7) UTEP 3, (9) Sam Houston 0
UTEP bounced back in dominant fashion, sweeping Sam Houston to advance in the tournament. The Miners took an early lead with a straight-set win on court five. The remaining four courts wrapped up almost simultaneously, with UTEP's No. 2 pair securing a 2-0 advantage before the top pair clinched the dual in straight sets. All five pairs completed their matches in the sweep.
Results (Order of Finish: 5, 2, 1)
P1: Hill and Acuna (UTEP) def. Tatum Lockhardt and Michaela Panekova (SAM) 21-15, 21-19
P2: Popovic and Llewellyn (UTEP) def. Lexi Higgins and Kate Smith (SAM) 21-13, 21-18
P3: Threet and Paegle (UTEP) vs. Avery Fowler and Payton Rink (SAM) 21-17, 21-14, no order
P4: Loera and Schubert (UTEP) vs. Ella Folse and Laelah Quezada (SAM) 21-15, 21-18, no order
P5: Oporto and Monreal (UTEP) def. Liliana Chuong and Haylee Masiero (SAM) 21-12, 21-11
DUAL 3 (3) FIU 3, (7) UTEP 0
In the elimination dual, FIU gained momentum early with a win on court four to take a 1-0 lead. The Panthers pushed the advantage to 2-0 with a victory on court three and sealed the match with a straight-set win on the top court, bringing an end to UTEP's tournament run and 2026 season.
Results (Order of Finish: 4, 3, 1)
P1: Katarina Drozd and Brianna Luoma (FIU) def. Hill and Acuna (UTEP) 21-16, 21-18
P2: Hanna Gubik and Nicole Robison (FIU) vs. Popovic and Llewellyn (UTEP) 21-16, unf
P3: Isabella Pereira and Kendra Brown (FIU) def. Threet and Paegle (UTEP) 21-13, 21-16
P4: Elizabeth Nye and Lauren Coady (FIU) def. Loera and Schubert (UTEP) 21-14, 21-15
P5: Madalyn Wade and Hailey Prodan (FIU) vs. Oporto and Monreal (UTEP) 22-20, unf
Program History at the CUSA Championship
UTEP's path through the Conference USA Championship has featured some tough—and familiar—draws. The Miners have matched up with UAB in three of their four tournament appearances, including each of the last two seasons, while FIU has ended UTEP's run in back-to-back years. Those repeated matchups reflect both the challenge of the bracket and the program's steady climb, as UTEP has begun advancing further and consistently running into the same top-tier opponents later in the tournament.
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