Our Staff

Ben Wallis

Head Coach

Bio

Ben Wallis was named UTEP volleyball's head coach on Dec. 19, 2018, and is currently 64-43 (.598) overall. The upcoming 2023 season will mark Wallis's fifth season.

The Miners went 24-8 in 2021, Wallis’ third season, and was the first 20-win campaign since 2005, marking one of the best efforts thus far in program history. The Miners closed out the season with the most victories at the school in 33 years (26-14, 1988) and finished with the best winning percentage in program history (.750), eclipsing the prior mark of .719 (23-9, 1985).

UTEP accomplished its first win over a Big 10 foe, the first home win versus a Power 5 school since 1995, the first sweep over a Power 5 school since 1985, and the first time with two Power 5 wins on the same day. Wallis led the Miners to their first tournament crown in 10 years at the Bengal Invitational hosted by Idaho State. UTEP volleyball finished 8-4 in Conference USA. The Miners' four setbacks were against Rice (series), UAB and UTSA. UTEP swept its competition five of the eight wins. The campaign locked in the No. 2 seed on the west bracket for the C-USA Championship tournament after closing out conference play as it notched back-to-back sweeps against North Texas.

UTEP participated in the postseason for the first time in the program’s history. The Miners received an invitation as part of an automatic bid to play in the National Invitational Volleyball Championship. The Miners won their first-ever postseason match defeating Tulsa, 3-1, in the first round of the NIVC and defeated the Colorado State Rams on their home court in round two of the NIVC. CSU previously won 30 straight sets at home and was the Mountain West regular season champion but lost to UNLV in the conference Tournament.

UTEP secured the No. 45 spot on the rating percentage index (RPI), previously ending the 2020 season at No. 67. The Miners finished in the top 50 in nine categories in the NCAA and set historic program numbers. The campaign finished No. 16 in the country in offense and was the last standing Conference USA team in postseason play.

In Wallis' second year as head coach (2020-21), UTEP secured its first winning season since 2012 as well as won its first conference tournament match since 2008 as a No. 2 seed – its highest seeding since 1984. The Miners were picked to finish fourth in the West Division in the Conference USA Preseason Poll.

UTEP finished the season with an RPI of 68 for the largest RPI improvement in C-USA from the 2019 season with a 72-point differential. Wallis also leads Conference USA by a large margin with the greatest RPI improvement since his arrival in 2018 with a 181-point difference in his two seasons (249 in 2018 to 68 in 2020-21). Only 11 teams in the country have a better RPI improvement in that span, and none of those 11 teams had a ranked opponent in their conference while the Miners had two (No. 16 Western Kentucky and No. 24 Rice).

Wallis also led the Miners to their highest winning percentage in conference play since 1985. The regular season was marked by milestones in nearly every series UTEP played. On Feb. 21, UTEP defeated I-10 rival UTSA for the first time in 10 years. In the next series versus North Texas on March 1, the Miners walked out of Denton, Texas, with a road victory over the Mean Green for the first time since 1994. On March 21 and 22, UTEP swept Louisiana Tech in straight sets in both matches – the Miners' first straight-set season sweep of a conference opponent since 2012. UTEP capped its regular season with two more straight-set victories the next weekend versus Southern Miss, marking the Miners' first 12-set winning streak in conference play since 1996. They would make it 15 straight sets after UTEP's 3-0 victory over (3E) Marshall in the Conference USA Tournament Quarterfinals.

Also in 2020-21, UTEP garnered its most recognition in the Conference USA postseason awards since 2012 with three Miners being honored in the same year on the All-Conference First, Second and Freshman teams (Cheyenne Jones, Serena Patterson and Ava Palm, respectively). Jones was UTEP's first First Team selection since Xitlali Herrera in 2013.

UTEP finished 2020-21 ranked top four in C-USA in service aces (1st), aces per set (1st), hitting percentage (4th), kills (3rd), assists per set (3rd) and opponent hitting percentage (3rd). The Miners did not rank in the top four in any statistical category in C-USA last season and had not finished top three in conference in any offensive statistical category since the 2012-13 season.

Wallis conducted the greatest turnaround in UTEP volleyball history in his first year at the helm of the program in 2019 with an eight-win improvement (13-15, 6-8 C-USA) and a 106-spot jump in the RPI rankings to 142. It was the highest win total UTEP volleyball had seen since 2014. Statistically, UTEP saw improvements in multiple categories from 2018 to 2019: 236 more points (1641), 128 more assists (1178), 44 more blocks (230, third-best in C-USA) 139 more kills, a 38 percentage point jump in kill percentage (.198) while their opponent kill percentage drop 30 percentage points and 53 more service aces (144).

Wallis, who served as a volunteer assistant coach for the Aggies during the 2005-06 season, returned to NM State as Assistant Coach in July of 2013. He was elevated to Associate Head Coach in 2016. With Wallis on the bench the Aggies forged a mark of 136-51 over the last six seasons, including a stellar 76-13 record in Western Athletic Conference play. NMSU was the WAC Tournament champion in 2013, 2015 and 2018, advancing to the NCAA Tournament each year.

The Aggies averaged 22.7 wins with Wallis since 2013, and finished first in the WAC regular season standings on four occasions (2013, 2015, 2016, 2017) with runner-up showings in 2014 and 2018. NM State posted 28 wins in 2015, including an unblemished 14-0 WAC ledger.

Serving as NMSU’s lead scout and defensive coordinator, Wallis played a crucial role in the Aggies ranking first in the WAC in opponent hitting percentage over each of the last six seasons. NMSU rated second nationally in opponent hitting percentage in 2017 (.139). Wallis also helped assemble the top recruiting class in NMSU history in 2018.

Wallis coached four AVCA All-Americans – middle blocker Gwen Murphy, middle hitter Kim Oguh, middle blocker Desiree Scott and middle hitter Amber Simpson -- while at NM State. The Aggies had the WAC Player of the Year in 2015 (Murphy) and 2017 (outside hitter Kassandra Tohm), and the WAC Libero of the Year in 2016 and 2017 (Ariadnne Sierra). Six Aggies earned first team All-WAC honors over the last six years – OH Jordan Abalos (2016), OH Tatyana Battle (2016, 2017 & 2018), MB Megan Hart (2018), Murphy (2013 & 2015), Scott (2013) and Tohm (2017).

Wallis brings over 11 years of Division I collegiate coaching experience, plus nine more years at the high school and club level, to El Paso. He has coached and trained six All-Americans and three conference players of the year.

His first stint with NM State was as a volunteer assistant coach during the 2005 season. He spent two years (2009-11) as the head coach at Cleveland High School in Rio Rancho, N.M., where he built a state championship team from the ground up. Six players on his 2011 squad went on to play college volleyball.

Wallis served as an assistant coach at New Mexico from 2011-13 prior to returning to Las Cruces. He coached AVCA All-Americans Hannah Johnson and Chantale Riddle while in Albuquerque, and helped put together a top-25 recruiting class in 2013.

Wallis also gained experience as a varsity assistant coach at El Paso’s Franklin High School, Rio Rancho High School and as a head coach at Gadsden High School in Anthony, N.M. He has acted as head trainer and club director for the Diamondback Volleyball Club in Las Cruces since 2013. The team captured the region title in 2016 and finished 19th at the USAV National Tournament.

Wallis and his wife Leah, a former NM State volleyball player, have two sons – Benjamin Kristopher Wallis II and Beau William Wallis. The Wallis family made another addition when daughter Berklee Grace Wallis graced them with her presence on May 28, 2019. His wife, the former Leah Nye, was an All-City volleyball player at Eastwood High School in El Paso before continuing her career with the Aggies.

Nikola Petrovic

Camp Director

Bio

EMAIL npetrovic@utep.edu
Phone Number 804 503 2827

Nikola Petrovic joined the UTEP volleyball staff as an assistant coach on Jan. 25, 2019. Petrovic specializes with the setter position group.

In 2020-21, Petrovic coached his setters, primarily Kristen Fritsche and Hande Yetis, to the third-best ranking in assists per set (12.52) in Conference USA. This was a huge jump from the Miners' 11th assists per set ranking a year ago. Fritsche finished the season ranking tenth in C-USA in assists per set (5.98) while Yetis was in the top-15 (5.12) whilst operating in UTEP's two-setter system.

The Miners averaged an astonishing 15.6 assists per set during their five-match winning streak at the end of the season and quarterfinal victory over Marshall. On Feb. 28, UTEP put up 75 assists in its loss to North Texas which was the most assists in the country in a single match to that date. The performance ranked as the third highest assist output in the NCAA that season.

Alongside fellow assistant coach Andrea Beaty, Petrovic helped bring an eight-win improvement (13-15, 6-8 C-USA) in the new coaching staff's first year running the program in 2019. It was the Miners' highest win total since 2014.

Petrovic last served as the associate head coach of Seattle University (2013-2019). He helped transform the Redhawks from a top 250 RPI team into a consistent top-150 team (highest ranking – 108). He coached 15 all-conference players and the first all-regional player in program history.

He also held the assistant coach position at Temple (2010-2011), UAB (2005-2006), Barton County Community College (2004-2005) and Northwood University (2001-2004).

At UAB, Petrovic took over the role as interim head coach and boosted the Blazers to their first winning season in over a decade, as well as coached two AVCA All-Americans.

He was the head coach of Garden City Community College (2006-2010). During the 2007 season, Petrovic led his team to its first winning season in four years. He mentored two KJCCC All-Region First Team members. In 2006, his team posted a 3.52 team GPA, which rated 11th in the country.

Petrovic recruited in all 50 states and 25 countries. His recruits have garnered 60 individual accolades over his 18-year coaching career.

The Serbian native was a setter for Zeleznicar Professional Volleyball Club for five years, and received his bachelor’s degree in physical education from the University of Belgrade.

Courtney Johnson

Assistant Coach

Bio

Courtney Johnson joined UTEP volleyball as an assistant coach in January 2022.

Johnson arrived to the Sun City after two seasons with the Belmont volleyball program as an assistant coach.

During her time at Belmont, Johnson coordinated and oversaw all phases for the defensive side of the team while assisting with recruiting operations. She helped the Bruins reach their first conference tournament appearance since 2017 when the program made an appearance this past season. Johnson joined the Bruins after a stint at Samford where she was a volunteer assistant coach with the program following the conclusion of her collegiate career with the Bulldogs.

After spending her freshman campaign at Fresno State where she was named to the Fall Academic All-Mountain West team, Johnson spent the remainder of her career (2017-19) with Samford, helping the program win a pair of SoCon tournament championships, as well as one regular season title. Primarily used as a serving specialist, Johnson accumulated a total of 353 digs and 49 service aces in her three seasons.

The native of Bellevue, Wash. served as a team captain in her final year of competition, helping guide the Bulldogs to their best season in history, including a 24-6 record, SoCon championships in both the regular season and league tournament, an NCAA Tournament berth and the program’s first-ever upset over a top-25 ranked program.

Johnson shined academically during her time at Samford, being named to the Fall Academic All-Southern Conference team all three years and the Dean’s List in all six of her semesters on campus.

In October 2019, Johnson was awarded the prestigious AVCA Coaches 4 Coaches Scholarship and attended the AVCA Convention held at the Final Four in Pittsburgh that December.

Lexie Torres

Assistant Coach

Bio

Lexie Torres joined the Cisco college coaching staff in the fall of 2022 after spending the previous three years coaching the women's volleyball team at Abilene Christian. During her time at Cisco, the Wranglers achieved the most wins in school history and had four All-Conference Players (1x First Team and 3x Second Team)

“We are thrilled to have Lexie here with us in El Paso," head coach Ben Wallis said. "She’s already brought a calming, experienced voice to our practices and she’s got a very unique way of connecting to our players that will really pay off for us in the Fall."

Torres joined the ACU Wildcats coaching staff in the fall of 2019 after graduating Cum Laude from Southeastern Louisiana University.

In her two years at SLU, Torres was a member of the Lady Lions volleyball team. While with the Lions, she played libero and was named to the Southland Conference Commissioner's honor roll both years. During the 2017 season, she earned All-Tournament honors at the BGSU / UT Invitational.

Prior to her time at SLU, she played two years at Hill College in Hillsboro, Texas. She had a breakout season as a freshman earning first team All-Conference and All-Region honors. She was ranked 19th in the country for digs and also picked up an All-Tournament team selection at the Odessa College Tournament. She also earned the NJCAA Academic Student-Athlete Award - Pinnacle for her success both on and off the court. In her sophomore season, she earned second team All-Conference honors. She is the All-Time record holder for digs with 1,040.

A native of San Antonio, she attended Incarnate Word High School where she played volleyball and earned All-District honors three times.