Don’t underestimate how much the UTEP volleyball team returns for 2026.
A big theme of the 2025 NCAA tournament team and Conference USA champions was how senior-laden they were, and that was true, but as injuries piled up later in the season some of the underlcassmen had a chance to play in high-stakes games. That should set them up well for 2026.
Then there is a player who was supposed to be a senior star last year before an injury delayed that. But Ema Uskokovic is back now. Here are five UTEP volleyball players to watch.
Ema Uskokovic, 6-0, senior outside hitter
After leading UTEP in attacks (939), kills (354), kills per set (3.05), service aces (48), aces per set, points (457.0), and points per set (3.94) And hitting .281 in her 2024 all-conference campaign, she was a preseason all-conference player last year before a season-ending knee injury two weeks before the season began.
She’s healthy now.
“For a couple of years (coach) Ben (Wallis) has been talking to us, we’re the team people are chasing and that’s exciting,” Uskokovic said. “In the same sense, we’ve put in the same work, tried to stay humble and keep working hard. That’s what got us to this place originally.”
Kalia Kohler, 5-7, senior setter
Kohler led the team in assists each of her first three seasons and had 575 last season. UTEP uses a two-setter system and her partner in that last year, Mattie Gantt, has graduated so she will be working with someone new there this year.
“We have a good, young group, very talented,” Kohler said. “It’s been nice having chemistry with old girls but having ways to intermix the” new players.
Luvina Oguntimehin, 6-2, junior middle blocker
After mostly playing outside attacker last season when Kaya Weaver and Danika Washington held down the middle, Oguntimehin now moves there to take over. She was a solid producer for UTEP last season when she had 68 blocks (second on the team) and 162 kills.
“She’s going to be the next in a long line of special middles in this program,” Wallis said. “She touched 10 (feet)-6 1/2 (inches) the other day (vertical leap), that’s 6 1/2 inches above the basketball rim.
“With the losses of Danny and Kaya moving on to professional volleyball, she’s going to step into that role and be someone that has to take a large piece of the, I’m-going-give-you-the-ball-late-in-the-game-puzzle pie. I think she’s excited about that.”
Landry Braziel, 6-0, junior outside hitter
Another important depth piece from a year ago looking to make the leap, Braziel had 209 kills last year (third on the team) and 45 blocks. She was coming on late in the season when injuries to other front-line players took a toll.
“Landry Braziel is going to go from a complementary role to, ‘Can she be a big girl and a big time scorer and someone we can set a lot?’ She’s made a big shift in the spring.”
Mackenzi Davis, 5-8, freshman outside hitter
The X-factor of this team, Davis looked like a potential freshman-of-the-year candidate last preseason before an injury cut short her year before it began. Though she’s undersized for an outside hitter, Wallis thinks she is a star in the making.
”Mackenzi’s never played a point for us, but Mackenzi Davis is going to be someone people watch quickly,” Wallis said. “When I say Mackenzie Davis, probably 90% of El Paso has no idea who that is. And they’re going to learn really fast.
“She’s a high flying, little small person who is quick, and tenacious, and competitive and an unbelievable human being.”
Bret Bloomquist can be reached at bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on X.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: UTEP volleyball aims for MW title: Uskokovic, other players to watch
Reporting by Bret Bloomquist, El Paso Times / El Paso Times
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Bret Bloomquist, El Paso Times | USA TODAY Network
