EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The UTEP women’s volleyball team made some program history on Sunday, Dec. 1, earning its first-ever NCAA Tournament bid.
The Miners earned one of 33 at-large bids for the field of 64.
UTEP, 27-5 overall, is one of two Conference USA schools to punch their ticket to the Big Dance, joining regular-season and conference tournament champion Western Kentucky.
The Miners are also one of just two programs in this year’s field to make their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance, along with Chicago State.
The Miners will face Oklahoma in the first round of the tournament at 2 p.m. MST on Friday, Dec. 6 in Pittsburgh.
It will mark the fourth all-time matchup between the Miners and the Sooners, who posted a 14-10 record during the regular season (8-8 SEC/sixth place). The series history includes UTEP’s forfeit victory in the 1979 season opener, along with Oklahoma’s 3-0 wins in the 2015 Borderland Invitational and the 2016 Oklahoma Invitational.
“This is a momentous day for UTEP volleyball,” head coach Ben Wallis said. “This at-large bid is not just a testament to the hard work and talent of our players but also to the support from our fans, administration, and the entire El Paso community.
“It’s also for many of our former players like Alianza Darley, Serena Patterson, Kristen Fritsche, Paulina Perez, Kenidy Howard, among many others, who put in a lot of time and energy building this program and never got to see the fruits of their labors. This will hopefully give them a big smile. We’re excited for the opportunity to represent UTEP on the national stage and compete against the best teams in the country,” Wallis said.
You can click here to see the entire NCAA Tournament bracket.
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