The University of Arizona volleyball team will take on the University of Texas at El Paso this Tuesday, Sept. 16, at 6 p.m. in McKale Center. The Wildcats are 6-2 this season, and the Miners are 8-1, having fallen short against UCLA.
History vs. UTEP
The two teams met up for their first match in 1977, concluding with a Wildcat 3-0 win. The Wildcats and Miners have since competed 11 times, featuring their last game in 2022, where the Wildcats won 3-1 at home. In the team’s history of competing, the Miners have only come out on top once and tied once as Arizona leads the series, 9-1-1.
UTEP this season
UTEP this season is coming in strong with eight wins and one loss. Aside from the Miners’ 3-0 loss against UCLA in El Paso, Texas, the team has shown what they are capable of this season. Senior Sara Pustahija put up a match-high 11 kills in the team’s Sept. 12 matchup against Texas Southern University, while senior Kaya Weaver and sophomore Landry Braziel both showed their skills at the service line with 2 aces each.
Setting records in the 2024 season, UTEP posted a 27–5 record, reaching 20 wins faster than any other team in NCAA Division I history. Looking to keep setting records in this season, UTEP will utilize returning players such as standout middle blocker Weaver, who was announced this year’s Conference USA Preseason Player of the Year and placed in the national top 10 for both hitting percentage and total blocks during her junior season in 2024 (151 blocks, .439 hitting percentage).
UTEP has also added new promising players to its roster this year, including Fuka Sekita, a junior college transfer from New Mexico Military Institute. Early in the season, Sekita has shown impressive skill with her sharp defensive instincts and ability to keep plays alive through key digs.
Wildcats this season
After closing the 2024 season with 11 straight wins, the Wildcats return hungry and eager for continued success. The Wildcats started off the season strong with six consecutive wins; however, they have fallen short in their away game against the University of Washington this past Friday and the University of San Diego on Saturday.
Having started every match in 2024, the Wildcats’ outside hitter Jordan Wilson is back this season as a senior, having already gotten herself on the game leaderboard with her performance kills, aces and blocks.
After being named the 2024 AVCA Pacific Region Freshman of the Year, setter Avery Scoggins returned to the court as a sophomore and, despite the loss to Washington, delivered a strong performance with a double-double of 32 assists and 12 digs.
Both teams have established strong presences on the court this season, making this a matchup worth watching to see if UTEP can secure another win in the series, with the last coming in 2021.
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