For six years, UTEP’s volleyball team has been led by Head Coach Ben Wallis. Taking the reins of a program that was once at the bottom of Conference USA, Wallis has curated a team that is now climbing to the top of the conference.
UTEP recently announced Wallis’ contract extension, granting him an additional two years to coach the volleyball team, extending his contract to at least August of 2029.
“This community has really embraced our team and our program, the fact that they want me to stay around and are excited about that really makes it worth all the work we put in,” said Wallis. “The fact that our team is embraced so much by the city and the university is the most exciting part about being here longer.”
Vice President and Director of Athletics Jim Senter said that the Wallis era of volleyball has brought attention from all El Paso. According to Senter, eyes from across the city watch UTEP volleyball with excitement, looking forward to watching both Wallis’ and the players’ performances.
“We went from probably having maybe a couple hundred fans to now it would be rare if we don’t have a thousand people in the stands,” said Senter. “With that comes an increase in revenue. Volleyball now is a bigger revenue producer for us than soccer and softball.”
With the increased attendance and revenue from fans, Memorial Gym has become a center for community engagement. Last year, UTEP volleyball saw multiple sold-out crowds, reaching the maximum 3,271 ticket sales towards the end of the season. According to UTEP Athletics, Memorial Gym averaged 1,606 fans per home match last season and lead all C-USA teams with a total of 24,084 fans.
“They love playing here at home, we’ve coined a kind of phrase, ‘Club Memorial’ for our home matches,” said Wallis. “It’s become a party, it’s become an event, which was exactly what we envisioned it to be when we took the program over six years ago.”
Wallis believes the increase in fan support is a result of the volleyball team’s commitment to the sport, stemming from the level of expectation that Wallis and his staff place upon the team.
“We do more than what they’re asked to do just as regular student-athletes, it’s what these girls have earned,” said Wallis. “They recognize that that’s what we want to keep happening year after year, they just have to go out there and put the product on the floor.”
Amid handling both academics and volleyball training, sophomore setter Kalia Kohler sees Wallis’ positive impact on not just the scoreboard, but on the people as well.
“Our motto this year is ‘Be a champ’, just always give your best and be your best and we’re just trying to be a champ for everyone both on and off the court,” said Kohler. “(We) try and win the day and not just go through it hoping everything works out, but actually making it happen by doing your own thing.”
Friday, Sept. 27 and Saturday, Sept. 28, volleyball faces off against the Florida International University (FIU) Panthers in Miami, Florida.
Gael Araiza is the layout editor and may be reached at [email protected]
