The UTEP Miners volleyball team, playing in its second consecutive NCAA tournament, is looking for its first-ever victory when it takes on North Carolina in Madison, Wisconsin.
UTEP’s 25-4 record and regular-season Conference USA championship earned it a No. 6 seed and the right to play the 21-8 Tar Heels. The NCAA deemed North Carolina one of the last four teams in. It finished fifth in the ACC, a Power 4 conference, with a 14-6 league record.
This is the first of two games Thursday at the Wisconsin Field House, as host No. 3 Wisconsin takes on Eastern Illinois in the second game of the doubleheader. The winner of that match will take on the winner of UTEP/North Carolina at 6 p.m. Friday.
All matches in the first and second rounds are on ESPN+. Check here for live updates.
2nd set: UNC 22, UTEP 11
4:20 p.m. MT: The tone for this set was established early when a string of UTEP errors dug a hole. It never came back together for them. But the match is about to be tied.
– Bret Bloomquist
2nd set: UNC 20, UTEP 10
UNC is hitting lots of shots. They can do no wrong right now. Lots breaking their way.
– Bret Bloomquist
2nd set: UNC 17, UTEP 7
4:17 p.m. MT: Since digging a 10-2 hole it hasn’t gotten worse. But it hasn’t gotten much better either. UTEP came out flat and isn’t climbing out yet.
– Bret Bloomquist
2nd set: UNC 16, UTEP 6
UNC takes double figure lead. UTEP needs a momentum shift.
– Bret Bloomquist
2nd set: UNC 13, UTEP 4
4:08 p.m. MT: UTEP has yet to join the battle in the second set. A number of overpasses have led to Carolina points. Those weren’t happening as much in the first set. It’s enabling UNC to find a rhythm and they are taking advantage.
– Bret Bloomquist
2nd set: UNC 10, UTEP 3
The second set is getting away from UTEP. Miners finally score another point.
– Bret Bloomquist
2nd set: UNC 8, UTEP 2
UNC is taking control of the net. UTEP calls time out.
– Bret Bloomquist
2nd set: UNC 4, UTEP 2
4:08 p.m. MT: Miners with a rash of early errors, looked like they relaxed a bit after the big comeback in the first set. But Lovesee gets a kill!
– Bret Bloomquist
2nd set: UNC 3, UTEP 0
UNC off to quick start.
– Bret Bloomquist
1st set: UTEP 26, UNC 24
4:01 p.m. MT: Miners with the answer! Washington with a kill to stave off set point, a Tar Heels error, then a Pustahija kill to win it. Miners hit .071 but find a way with their defense.
– Bret Bloomquist
1st set: UTEP 26, UNC 24
UTEP wins first set.
– Bret Bloomquist
1st set: UNC 24, UTEP 24
UTEP ties it up.
– Bret Bloomquist
1st set: UNC 24, UTEP 23
3:58 p.m. MT: UTEP has led most of the way but back-to-back blocks have given UNC a set point. UTEP, one of the best offensive teams in the country, is hitting .027
– Bret Bloomquist
1st set: UNC 24, UTEP 23
UNC gets first lead of the set. UTEP timeout.
– Bret Bloomquist
1st set: UTEP 23, UNC 22
UTEP back on top.
– Bret Bloomquist
1st set: UTEP 22, UNC 21
3:55 p.m. MT: A big Tar Heels block completes a 6-1 run and ties the first set. But then a service error and UTEP is back up.
– Bret Bloomquist
1st set: UTEP 21, UNC 19
UTEP scores again.
– Bret Bloomquist
1st set: UTEP 20, UNC 18
UTEP serve error. UNC also gets a UTEP net violations.
– Bret Bloomquist
1st set: UTEP 19, UNC 15
4:49 p.m. MT: Another Tar Heels hitting error and UTEP has a lead as it gets to winning time of the first set. Braziel and Pustahija each have three kills, the rest of the Miners have two. The four aces loom large.
– Bret Bloomquist
1st set: UTEP 18, UNC 15
4:49 p.m. MT: Lovesee has been out since early in the set. UTEP may have to do this without her. Pustahija will need to take over. And speaking of, she forces a net violation with a big hit.
– Bret Bloomquist
1st set: UTEP 17, UNC 14
Miners back on top with three straight scores.
– Bret Bloomquist
1st set: TIMEOUT: UTEP 14, UNC 13
4:45 p.m. MT: Inevitably UNC has improved its hitting. Tar Heels have four straight points and are back in it. UTEP still struggling to hit. They are now at .053 while UNC has headed up to .222. UTEP’s passing hasn’t been great the last few points.
– Bret Bloomquist
1st set: UTEP 14, UNC 13
UNC is on a 5-0 run. Close in on UTEP.
– Bret Bloomquist
1st set: UTEP 14, UNC 7
3:41 p.m. MT: UTEP looks to have settled in. A big kill from Pustahija is just their fourth as a team but they have four aces and have let Carolina make some errors.
– Bret Bloomquist
1st set: UTEP 13, UNC 8
After 6-0 run, UNC scores.
– Bret Bloomquist
Another ace for UTEP
3:39 p.m. MT: Miners were trailing 6-4, but are now on a 7-1 run to force a timeout. Miners hitting just .111 but have three aces from three different players.
– Bret Bloomquist
1st set: UTEP 11, UNC 7
UTEP gets hot. Pulls ahead. UNC tries to regroup with a timeout.
– Bret Bloomquist
1st set: UTEP 7, UNC 7
UTEP has back-to-back aces to brief take the lead.
– Bret Bloomquist
1st set: UNC 4, UTEP 4
3:35 p.m. MT: Right now more errors than kills as both teams are expectedly a bit tight. But Sekita ties it win an ace.
– Bret Bloomquist
First serve
3:32 p.m. MT: Lovesee is going to start. She’s on the back row but will rotate to the front on the first side-out.
– Bret Bloomquist
Pregame introductions
3:27 p.m. MT: All sorts of videos before they start introductions. Both teams are lined up on the baselines watching. North Carolina brought a fair sized contingent of fans.
– Bret Bloomquist
8 minutes on pregame clock
3:15 p.m. MT: Miners are now back in their locker room as UNC holds the floor. Volleyball has structured pregames that give both teams exclusive use of the floor for a stretch.
– Bret Bloomquist
NCAA volleyball tournament format
4:10 p.m. MT: Volleyball’s format is best-of-5 sets, so the first team to three sets wins the match. A set is first team to 25 and you have to win by two points. So if it’s tied at 24-24, the match will go on.
– Bret Bloomquist
24 minutes to first serve
3:59 p.m. MT: Warmups continue, if the clock is accurate this match will start early, but that clock is when lineups are announced, etc. Lovesee definitely looks game to try playing. UTEP has six cheerleaders here.
– Bret Bloomquist
36 minutes to first serve
3:48 p.m. MT: Lovesee is hopping around on the ankle and doesn’t look too bad. Big difference between that and leaping as high as you can go, but she’s going to try to gut it out.
– Bret Bloomquist
52 minutes to first serve
Torrance Lovesee, who has a sprained ankle, is stretching with the team, though noticeably limping. Coach Ben Wallis said she is going to try to go and noted that great sports stories are often told through a player overcoming an injury in the biggest moment.
– Bret Bloomquist
What channel is the NCAA volleyball tournament on?
All games in the first two rounds will be streamed on ESPN+.
Carolina volleyball vs UTEP: How do they match up?
North Carolina is led by 6-1 outside hitter Safi Hampton, a first-team all-ACC selection after finishing with a team-high 377 kills. Libero Maddie May, a 5-10 senior, led the team with 422 digs while being named second-team all-conference. Chelsea Thorpe, a 6-3 junior outside hitter, has 299 kills and 83 blocks.
UTEP is led by Torrance Lovesee, who is questionable for this game with an ankle injury, and Sara Pustahija offensively, as they have 320 and 253 kills, respectively. Setters Kalia Kohler and Mattie Gantt quarterback the two-setter offense.
Where is the NCAA volleyball Final Four in 2025?
The Final Four of the 2025 NCAA volleyball tournament will be held at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City.
NCAA volleyball tournament rounds schedule
Second round: Dec. 5-6
Regionals: Dec. 11 and 13 or Dec. 12 and 14
Semifinals: Thursday, Dec. 18
National championship: 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 21
Women’s Track & Field Rookie of the Week – Lola Gitlin
Lola Gitlin won the 3,000-meter race by more than 12 seconds at Cornell’s Southern Tier Invitational as she clocked a time of 10:37.55. Gitlin’s time is good for 24th nationally.
Women’s Track & Field – Field Performer of the Week – Lily Seyfert
Lily Seyfert placed third in the shot put at the Cornell Southern Tier Invitational with a mark of 12.72 meters, which is just shy of her top mark of 12.78 this season (17th in Division III). Seyfert also finished third in the weight throw at 16.20 meters and ranks eighth in the country after that performance.
Men’s Track & Field Rookie of the Week – Raphael Campanile
Raphael Campanile placed fifth in the pole vault with a mark of 4.50 meters at the Cornell Southern Tier Invitational on Saturday and currently ranks 25th in Division III with that performance.
HONOR ROLL
Matthew Zenker totaled 44 points on 18-of-31 shooting, to go along with nine rebounds and three steals in a 1-1 week for Ithaca. Zenker netted 20 points on 8-of-16 shooting in a 101-72 win over RIT and followed up with 24 points and eight rebounds as he shot 10-of-15 from the floor in a loss to Union.
Junior forward McNamara delivered a pair of strong performances despite setbacks against RIT and Union. Against the Tigers, she was flawless from the floor, going 3-for-3 while adding seven rebounds and two blocks. She carried that momentum into the Union matchup, coming just shy of her first career double-double with nine points and eight boards.
Shenandoah University men’s volleyball freshman Simon Bellenbaum was named the ODAC’s Defensive Player of the Week on Monday.
The York, Pennsylvania, native accumulated six solo blocks and eight digs in SU’s two matches against Randolph and Regent, with three blocks in each game and five digs versus the Royals.
Boys’ basketball: Sherando 48, Strasburg 44
STEPHENS CITY — Sherando defeated Strasburg for its fourth straight win on Monday. The Warriors are 9-4.
Girls’ basketball: Strasburg 39, Sherando 29
STRASBURG — Strasburg completed a season sweep with a win over Sherando on Monday.
The Warriors (3-11) trailed 18-7 after one quarter, 23-10 at the half and 29-22 after three quarters.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Two Keene State College student-athletes honored by the Little East Conference for their achievements accomplished for the week of January 5-11.
Men’s Swimming and Diving
Freshman diver Keegan Johnson (Durham, N.H.) was named the LEC Diver of the Week and the Rookie Diver of the Week from his dives across the Owls’ final two home meets this season over the past weekend. Against Eastern Connecticut State University, Johnson placed first in the 1M diving with a score of 129.75 on Friday afternoon, and on Saturday morning against Norwich University, he placed first in the 1M diving with a score of 141.38 and first in the 3M diving with a score of 170.31.
Johnson and the Owls return to action for a double-dual meet against Brandeis University and Bridgewater State University on Saturday, January 17 at 12:00 PM.
Men’s Indoor Track and Field
Senior Eden Damis (Nashua, N.H.) was named the LEC Field Athlete of the Week from his performance at the Middlebury Snowflake Invitational on Saturday for the Owls. In the long jump, Damis posted a mark of 14.00 in the triple just for a new personal record in his final attempt of the day. His mark became the 21st best mark in NCAA Division III on the season, just one position for qualifying for nationals later this season.
Damis and the Owls return to action at the Panther Invitational I at Plymouth State University on Saturday, January 17, at 10:00 AM.
PITMAN — The New Jersey Athletic Conference announced its women’s indoor track & field weekly honors for the week ending Jan. 11
TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
LUCIA GARCIA-BELTRAN • The College of New Jersey
Senior • Hopewell, NJ/Hopewell Valley Central
Garcia-Beltran earned NJAC Track Athlete of the Week honors after setting a new program record in the 60 meters at the Lions Indoor Invitational. The senior sprinter and Rutgers transfer clocked a time of 7.63 seconds, which ranks fifth in NCAA Division III.
FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
SARAH SCEPKOWSKI • The College of New Jersey
Senior • Garwood, NJ/Arthur L. Johnson
Scepkowski claimed NJAC Field Athlete of the Week recognition after clearing 1.60 meters in the high jump at the Lions Indoor Invitational. The senior’s mark ranks 20th in NCAA Division III and stands as one of the top performances in the conference this season.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
AMELIA VITALE • Farmingdale State College
Freshman • Hauppauge, NY/Hauppauge
Vitale was named NJAC Rookie of the Week after posting a time of 2:30.87 in the 800 meters at the Spartan Invitational. The freshman’s performance represents the top mark in the event thus far in the NJAC this season and establishes her as the conference’s early leader in the middle-distance event.
PITMAN — The New Jersey Athletic Conference announced its men’s indoor track & field weekly honors for the week ending Jan. 11.
TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
MAXIM RYCHKOV • The College of New Jersey
Sophomore • Robbinsville, NJ/Robbinsville
Rychkov earned NJAC Track Athlete of the Week honors after setting a new program record in the 400 meters at the Lions Indoor Invitational. The sophomore clocked a time of 47.95 seconds, which ranks sixth in Division III. Rychkov’s record-breaking performance also leads both the NJAC and NCAA Metro Region in the event.
FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
BRADEN PAULMENN • The College of New Jersey
Sophomore • Monmouth Junction, NJ/South Brunswick
Paulmenn claimed NJAC Field Athlete of the Week recognition after a strong showing in two throwing events at the Lions Indoor Invitational. The sophomore recorded a mark of 15.38 meters in the shot put (third place) and 13.98 meters in the weight throw (fourth place). His weight throw mark ranks third in the NJAC and 10th in the Metro Region. Paulmenn also owns the second-best shot put mark in the NJAC and NCAA Metro Region and is 26th in Division III.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
VICTOR AKINBOBOYE • The College of New Jersey
Freshman • Jackson, NJ/Jackson Liberty
Akinboboye was named NJAC Rookie of the Week after clocking a time of 35.54 seconds in the 300 meters at the Lions Indoor Invitational. The freshman’s performance ranks 18th in Division III and establishes him as one of the top first-year sprinters in the conference.
Oldani had a match-high and career-high 10 digs in BYU’s season opener Friday night in Provo. He added another three digs on Saturday. Oldani also had five blocks over the two matches, as the Cougars started the season 2-0 for the fourth consecutive season.
Oldani is one of three transfers from Grand Canyon on this season’s BYU squad. He was a key contributor as a freshman last season for the Antelopes and has picked up where he left off with the Cougars.
Oldani and the No. 8 Cougars won in back-to-back sweeps last weekend over Saint Francis and have two more home matches this Friday and Saturday, as No. 10 UC San Diego visits the Smith Fieldhouse.
