The Miners walked into the Pan American Center on Saturday convinced they could match the reigning AAC champions. For two sets, they did. Then reality set in.
UTEP fell short against Tulsa 3-2 in a five-set season opener that had all the makings of a signature win — until it didn’t. After building a 2-1 lead through the first three sets, the Miners couldn’t finish. The Golden Hurricane roared back with a 25-20 fourth-set victory before dominating the fifth, 15-7, in a gut-punch reminder that elite programs don’t fold when pushed.
But here’s what matters: this team didn’t wilt. Twenty-four hours later, in front of a sold-out crowd at the newly renovated Club Memorial, UTEP rallied past I-10 rival New Mexico State in a thrilling five-set battle, 25-22, 13-25, 24-26, 25-22, 15-13. The Miners are 1-1, but the second win — the one at home, the one that got away in set three before they clawed back — that’s the one that defines this opening weekend.
The Tulsa Lesson: Close Matters
The opening match was nearly perfect for a season opener. UTEP narrowly dropped the first set 26-24, then responded with back-to-back 25-18 victories to take control of the match. Three Miners finished with double-digit kills: Luvina Oguntimehin led with 15, Simone Perry added 14, and Mackenzi Davis contributed 12.
Against the two-time defending AAC champions, that offensive firepower should’ve been enough. It wasn’t. Tulsa answered in the fourth set, pulling away late for a 25-20 win before dominating the decisive fifth set, 15-7, to secure the season-opening victory.
Coach Ben Wallis saw it clearly: this team has the weapons to compete with anyone. What they don’t have yet is the closing instinct.
“Unfortunately, Tulsa is a conference champion for a reason,” Wallis said after the match. “They responded to us pushing them around in the second and third sets by playing more physically and doing some tactical things that slowed us down.”
That’s a lesson, not an indictment. UTEP’s new Mountain West conference is stocked with teams exactly like Tulsa — programs that know how to flip a switch when the margin tightens. The Miners needed to see what that looks like before conference play.
The NMSU Redemption Arc
Sunday night told a completely different story.
UTEP rallied to win 25-22, 13-25, 24-26, 25-22, 15-13 in a thrilling five-set match. The renovated Memorial Gym was packed for the occasion — the “White Out” against the rival Aggies, and every seat was taken. The energy wasn’t generic. It was personal.
Outside hitter Landry Braziel helped lead the way for UTEP with 12 kills and outside hitter Mackenzi Davis added 11 kills. Both players stepped up when it mattered most, particularly in that decisive fifth set when the match was decided by possession and will.
What stood out more than the individual stats was the unity. Head coach Ben Wallis noted that his team’s ability to gel on the court was impressive, with a lot of young freshmen going out there along with the good veterans, and together making the plays at the end.
That’s what the Tulsa loss didn’t have. That’s what the Miners found against NMSU.
The Memorial Moment
The sold-out crowd was the first to experience a transformed Memorial Gym, which underwent extensive renovations during the offseason as part of the Club Memorial project. Completed in time for the 2026 campaign, the upgrades include new lower-level chairback seating, LED lighting, an upgraded sound system, Taraflex competition flooring, enhanced MinerVision production equipment and several additional fan experience improvements.
This is a new home for a program that was 25-5 last season. The building itself now matches the ambition.
UTEP enters its first Mountain West season after being selected to finish first in the preseason poll. Graduate student outside hitter Ema Uskokovic, who returns to the court for her final season after missing the 2025 campaign due to injury, was named to the 2026 MW Preseason Team. She wasn’t on the court this weekend due to injury precautions, but the infrastructure is there. The depth is there.
What to Watch
The lesson of this opening weekend is clear: the talent matches the expectation. Oguntimehin, Perry, Davis, Braziel — they’re all capable of carrying a set against elite competition. The question isn’t whether UTEP can win on the road at power programs. The question is whether they can close those windows when they open them.
Against NMSU, they found the answer. That’s enough to build on.
