With the 2026 Conference USA (C-USA) beach volleyball season approaching, the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) Miners are no longer the new program searching for stability.
Entering year three of competition, the Miners are chasing something beyond growth. They are chasing a breakthrough.
Head coach Daniel Foo, hired in May 2022 to help launch the program before officially stepping into the head coaching role in 2024, has watched the sport’s evolution unfold.
“We’ve been stuck at 12 wins the last two seasons,” Foo said. “We don’t want to just improve by one or two. We want to make a jump.”
That jump, Foo said, means 17 wins and climbing the C-USA standings, moving from the middle of the pack into championship contention.
But this season is not just about numbers.
There was no inherited culture or established standard. Everything had to be built from the ground up.
“We started this from scratch,” Foo said. “The players decided what they wanted this program to be.”
Senior Krista Paegle, a marketing major from Latvia and one of the program’s original building blocks, enters her final season determined to leave a mark.
“It is my last year, so I really want to play my hardest,” Paegle said. “I have nothing to hold back. I want to get as many wins as I can and have the best season I’ve had.”
Paegle is paired with a freshman this season, taking on the responsibility of guiding her younger teammate.
“I’m trying to be the best partner I can be,” Paegle said. “I want to help her grow while also pushing myself.”
The roster looks different this year with more depth, stronger competition in practice and improved overall skill.
“We’ve added so much talent,” Paegle said. “There’s way more competition in practice already. We’re competing hard every day, and I think that’s going to show when we play other schools.”
Junior Adriana Oporto, a criminal justice major from Spain, sees the difference as well. She described this year’s group as disciplined, unified and a team that holds itself accountable.
“We’re very focused and very accountable,” Oporto said. “I feel like we’ve created a really big bond this year. I’m excited to see how that translates in matches.”
Both Paegle and Oporto emphasized the “family” atmosphere the team prioritizes a culture centered on trust and collective responsibility. In beach volleyball, with only one partner on the sand and no substitutions, chemistry is essential for them.
“When you really trust your partner, it changes everything,” Paegle said. “And when you look to the sidelines, you feel that support from the whole team.”
While UTEP has built a reputation as a strong defensive squad before, Oporto said the offseason focus shifted to improving side-outs by converting serve-receive opportunities into points that add up over a match.
The Miners will have to rely on that discipline through another travel-heavy schedule. Home matches have been limited since the program’s debut, forcing the Miners to create their own energy while on the road.
“It’s all they’ve known,” Foo said. “It’s basically every weekend traveling, but they handle it well.”
Paegle credited the team’s personalities for keeping the energy high while being away from El Paso.
“We have a lot of personalities on this team,” she said. “It’s easy to keep the energy high.”
Still, Foo understands what expanded home opportunities could mean not only for his team but for the growth of the sport in El Paso.
“It would mean everything,” Foo said. “It would mean growth for beach volleyball in El Paso and in this region.”
While courts exist, consistent high-level doubles competition remains limited. Through camps, scrimmages and social media outreach, the program is working to build interest.
“It’s such a dynamic and growing sport everywhere else,” Foo said. “We’re trying to build that here.”
Internally, expectations continue to rise. Oporto’s personal goals include doubling her win total from last season and competing for a conference championship.
“We want to win conference,” Oporto said. “That’s the goal.”
Paegle believes maturity will define this season, the experience gained from two years of adjustments, setbacks and growth.
“We’ve learned how to handle tight situations,” Paegle said. “If this is our breakthrough season, it’s going to be because of the experience we’ve built.”
For Foo, success remains rooted in measurable improvement.
“If everything goes right, it means we got better,” Foo said. “We improved from last year.”
As UTEP enters year three, the Miners are no longer defined by being new. They are defined by resilience with seniors who built the foundation, younger players raising the level of competition in practice and a culture that was created from nothing.
“This is a hardworking group,” Foo said. “They’ve moved the game forward for us.”
The foundation has been set in the sand. Now, the Miners are ready to see how high they can rise above it.
Victoria Adler is the copy and web editor and may be reached at [email protected] and on Instragram @torimediaworks
