UTEP Beach Volleyball Opens 2026 Season at Javelina Beach Classic

EL PASO, Texas – The UTEP beach volleyball team is set to open its fourth season of competition when the Miners travel to Kingsville, Texas, for the Javelina Beach Classic, Feb. 20-21, hosted by Texas A&M-Kingsville at the Javelina Beach Courts.

UTEP will compete in four duals over the two-day event, facing Louisiana-Monroe and Sam Houston on Friday before taking on McNeese and host Texas A&M-Kingsville on Saturday.

Schedule 

Building the Program

The 2026 campaign marks the fourth season in program history and the second year under head coach Daniel Foo, who is in his fourth year overall with the program after serving his first two seasons as associate head coach.

The Miners enter the season looking to build on steady growth. UTEP posted a 12-17 record in 2025, marking the second consecutive season with 12 victories. The year was highlighted by a historic milestone at the Conference USA Championship, where the Miners earned their first postseason win in program history with a 3-0 sweep of Jacksonville State. UTEP’s season concluded with a loss to No. 3 seed FIU, capping a memorable postseason run.

Off the sand, the Miners continued to excel academically and in the community. Madison Hill earned her third straight Conference USA All-Academic honor, while Ema Uskokovic collected her first All-Academic selection and was named a recipient of the Jim Castañeda Postgraduate Scholarship. Emma Schubert was also recognized as a recipient of the Conference USA Spring Spirit of Service Award for her impact in the community.

2026 Roster Breakdown 

UTEP’s 2026 squad consists of a strong mix of experience and fresh talent, featuring 13 returners and six newcomers: 

• Graduate Students: Danika Washington (1st season), Madison Hill, Ema Uskokovic
• Seniors: Krista Paegle, Paulina Acuna 
• Juniors: Mila Popovic, Adriana Oporto 
• Sophomores: Averie Threet, Lauren Perry, Iana Loera, Maddy Dominick, Emma Schubert, Mackenzi Davis, Kennedy Llewellyn
• Freshmen: Mia Theisler, Evelina Krieva, Alexa Gonzalez Monreal, Deni McCalmont, Audriana Spielman
• Crossover Players (Indoor & Beach): Hill, Perry, Uskokovic, Davis 
• International Players: Uskokovic (Belgrade, Serbia), Paegle (Riga, Latvia), Oporto (Madrid, Spain), Llewellyn (Ancaster, Canada), Krieva (Marupe, Latvia)

Scouting the Field

Louisiana-Monroe returns seven players from a 13-22 squad in 2025 and adds six newcomers under second-year head coach Baylie Young.

• Series History: first time meeting

Sam Houston enters just its second season as a program after going 1-17 in its inaugural campaign.

• Series History: UTEP leads 1-0
• Last Meeting: W, 5-0, Feb. 22, 2025 (Third Coast College Classic | Houston, Texas)

McNeese finished 13-19 last season, the best record in program history, and returns nine players under head coach Yasmin Tan.

• Series History: UTEP leads 1-0
• Last Meeting: W, 3-2, Feb. 23, 2025 (Third Coast College Classic | Houston, Texas)

Texas A&M-Kingsville is coming off a historic 25-13 season that included a trip to the AVCA Small College National Championship semifinals. The Javelinas return AVCA All-Americans Rylan Pollard and Liana Huesca and will host their annual home tournament for the seventh consecutive year.

• Series History: UTEP leads 1-0
• Last Meeting: W, 3-2, Feb. 28, 2025 (Javelina Beach Showdown | Kingsville, Texas)

Get to Know the Game   A best-of-three match is two sets to 21 points with a 15-point third set if needed, and all sets are rally-scoring. The teams switch ends throughout the sets so each combat with the elements evenly.  Each school divides its roster into five teams of two players each (10 total players will compete for each school in a match). Each program also maintains a sixth pairing that competes in a non-scoring match at most tournaments as they fight to earn a spot among one of the five scoring teams. The match is a best-of-five, so a team needs at least three pair wins to be victorious.