Serena Patterson experienced the olden times and they were not golden.
An outside hitter and long-time anchor for the UTEP volleyball team, Patterson came to El Paso in 2018, partly because she’s a Miner legacy following in the footsteps of her parents, who were UTEP athletes, and partly because the Miners were so bad she knew she could play right away.
On that last count she was right, as she became a quick contributor for a 5-21 team, along with another freshman, setter Kristen Fritsche.
What Patterson didn’t know was the transformation she and her program would make when, prior to her sophomore year, coach Ben Wallis came over from nearby power New Mexico State.