That is the second of two tales previewing the NCAA seashore volleyball season that begins Thursday. Half 2 appears to be like at Convention USA, the West Coast Convention, Solar Belt, ASUN, Southland and Ohio Valley.
Excessive-profile independents Texas and Nebraska are also detailed. Lastly, we spin from Hawaii to Texas to Florida (with stops in between), working down an event-filled opening-week schedule.
Convention USA
The league’s profile soared when NCAA Championship semifinalist TCU, which held the No. 1 spot within the AVCA coaches ballot for six weeks final season, left the CCSA for C-USA.
Hector Gutierrez, the 2023 AVCA coach of the 12 months, should work out a workaround for the Olympics absences of AVCA pair of the 12 months Daniela Alvarez and Tania Moreno. However the Horned Frogs stay squarely within the hunt for the NCAA title, checking in at No. 4 within the preseason rating. Alvarez and Moreno have eligibility remaining, however are on monitor to characterize their native Spain in Paris and have targeted on the Volleyball World Tour.
A brand new high duo might need had a coming-out get together in November, when junior Hailey Hamlett and sophomore Anhelina Khmil (the CCSA freshman of the 12 months) took the gold medal within the AVCA Nationwide Pairs Championship in Huntsville, Alabama. Sutton MacTavish and Ana Vergara are also battle-tested returnees from a squad that completed 37-3 and eradicated Stetson and Stanford within the NCAAs earlier than falling 3-2 to USC within the semis. Search for the Horned Frogs to loom giant once more within the single-elimination NCAA Seaside Championships (Might 1 and 3-5) in Gulf Shores, Alabama, the ultimate 12 months of the occasion’s run on the Redneck Riviera earlier than it strikes to “Surf Metropolis,” Huntington Seaside, California, in 2025.
A two-bid league final season, C-USA noticed its membership swell to 9 with not solely TCU however with the addition of Missouri State from the CCSA and debut seashore program Tarleton State. Holdover staples Florida Atlantic (No. 11 within the preseason ballot) and Florida Worldwide (ranked thirteenth) are anticipated to be stable once more.
FAU (19-14 in 2023) can construct round Julie Honzovicova (half of the C-USA pair of the 12 months), Ashleigh Adams and Courtney Moon.
FIU (20-17) has a brand new coach in Terri Del Conti, who changed the long-lasting Rita Buck-Crockett. Again for the Panthers are second-team AVCA All-American Lucie Pokorna, Giada Bianchi, Lisa Luini and Alice Pratesi.
Tulane gathered momentum with a 24-10 document and sits on the cusp of the nationwide high 20. Savka Popovic and Lara Torruella have been lower-court producers for the Inexperienced Wave, who picked up a portal plumb in record-breaking Trinity Jackson from crosstown rival New Orleans. Jackson’s father, Kevin, received the Olympic gold medal in freestyle wrestling (181 kilos) on the 1992 Barcelona Video games. Additionally in C-USA are Alabama-Birmingham (18-16) and upstreaming applications Texas-El Paso and Jacksonville State.
West Coast Convention
The six different league coaches agreed that John Mayer’s Loyola Marymount crew was the very best within the WCC. The Lions, ranked fifth nationally, had been 29-9 in 2023 and are stacked with expertise, most notably first-team AVCA All-American Valma Prihti – a 6-foot junior out of Finland who was half of the WCC 2023 pair of the 12 months with the departed Melanie Paul – and 5 others named to the league’s all-preseason squad: Madi Firnett, 2023 WCC freshman of the 12 months Chloe Hooker, Jacinda Ramirez, Michelle Shaffer and Abbey Thorup. Mayer’s deep crew sits on a brief checklist of reliable national-title contenders after falling 3-1 to USC within the NCAA quarterfinals (for extra on Mayer and LMU, take heed to this week’s SANDCAST).
The WCC was awarded just one entry into the 17-team NCAA area final 12 months, and hoping to vary that’s Pepperdine, 19-14 final season and ranked Nineteenth within the preseason ballot. The Waves will lean closely on Kate Clermont, McKenna Thomas and Czech nationwide Sarlota Svobodova, a grad switch from Coastal Carolina. After the Lions and Waves within the preseason ballot got here Santa Clara (15-16), Saint Mary’s, San Francisco, Portland and Pacific, all of which had been underneath .500, with Pacific going winless over 22 duals.
Solar Belt Convention
These fabulous Ferary twins – 5-foot-4 “tynamos” Angel and Bella – are again for an additional season at Georgia State, joyous information for seashore volleyball followers however a nightmare situation for opponents who should cope with their distinctive model of scrambling “small ball.” Seniors Angel and Bella had been second-team AVCA All-People, the Solar Belt pair of the 12 months and the one crew to knock off USC first-team All-People Megan Kraft and Delaynie Maple through the common season. The Sandy Panthers, 20-17 in 2023, are ranked No. 12 within the preseason ballot and are the one Solar Belt program to crack the highest 20. Coach Beth Van Fleet returns 5 others who competed within the crew’s NCAA match first-round loss to USC: Solar Belt newcomer of the 12 months Lila Burdis, Elise Saga, Ayla Johnson, Future White and Alisa Vourinen.
Coastal Carolina, 25-13 final season with victories over Cal Poly, Washington, Florida Atlantic and Division-II champion Tampa, would possibly vie for some nationwide consideration. Maddie Lichty, Madison Allred and Rachyel Ehlers give the Chanticleers an skilled core.
Faculty of Charleston (21-14) misplaced a key participant when Gabi Bailey jumped to LSU, however Kora Hansen and Maria Zweig return. Rounding out the league are Louisiana-Monroe (coming off of a 31-4 marketing campaign enjoying towards lower-level competitors), Southern Mississippi, Mercer, Stephen F. Austin and North Carolina-Wilmington.
Atlantic Solar Convention
Holding down No. 16 within the preseason ballot is Stetson, the perennial standard-bearer of the ASUN underneath Coach Kristina Hernandez. Second-team AVCA All-American Shea Henson is again for a fifth go-round for the Hatters (22-15 in 2023), however accomplice Karin Zolnercihova was lassoed by Texas out of the portal. Aleksandra Stadnik, Gabriella Bramonte, Audrey Gauthier and Tori Clement additionally competed in Stetson’s 3-0 loss to TCU within the NCAA match.
Florida Gulf Coast (19-18 final season) has a confirmed commodity in 5-foot-11 Kacie Johnson, a three-time first-team All-ASUN choice, however Johnson’s accomplice, Maddison Palmelli, hit the switch portal to Texas. North Florida (24-11) may have depth with ASUN freshman of the 12 months Madison Espy, Presley Murray, Katie Camp and Michaela Rezentes. North Alabama (20-16) returns first-team All-ASUN defensive whiz Paula Klemperer. Filling out the convention are Austin Peay, Jap Kentucky, Jacksonville and Central Arkansas.
Southland Convention
Texas A&M Corpus Christi discovered a big piece within the depth puzzle with the portal addition of 6-foot-2 grad pupil Stephanie Younger, a extremely serviceable “massive” for Florida Atlantic whereas enjoying within the pair who received their first-round NCAA match match on courtroom 5 towards LSU. The Islanders had been 25-10 (undefeated towards Southland competitors) and have seven of the ten starters who performed of their NCAA play-in victory again, together with Southland freshman of the 12 months Kristen Bobay and her Court docket 2 working mate, Chloe Tome. Coach Gayle Stammer’s crew might need the stuff to drag an upset alongside the best way whereas competing in occasions at TCU, LSU, Stanford and FSU.
Boise State quietly constructed a 25-10 document whereas going 6-0 towards Pac-12 geographic rivals Oregon and Utah. The Broncos boast reliable veterans in Rorianna Chartier and Sierra Land, and a possible riser in 6-foot-1 sophomore Ava Anderson. Houston Christian went 17-18 whereas scheduling powerful and pulled a late-season shocker towards ranked Stanford. New Orleans (21-16) feasted towards the lower-level groups however wants to indicate it might probably step up towards the higher applications. San Jose State (11-9) would possibly get higher, whereas Nicholls State and first-year program McNeese State are alongside for the journey in a one-bid league.
Ohio Valley Convention
Tennessee-Martin was tabbed because the crew to beat within the preseason ballot after a 27-9 season that noticed the Skyhawks knock off Stetson and Georgia State, applications with nationwide reputations greater up the seashore meals chain, whereas going 10-0 in OVC duals. Dylan Mott, Olivia O’Keefe and Helieigh Paulino are key returnees for UT-Martin. Hoping to floor the Skyhawks is Chattanooga (19-15, 7-3 OVC in 2023). Junior Neva Clark, the reigning OVC Participant of the 12 months, was considered one of 4 Mocs voted to the preseason all-league squad. Morehead State (14-13, 6-4) was the ballot’s third selection, adopted by Tennessee Tech, Lindenwood and Jap Illinois. The OVC was a one-bid convention within the 2023 NCAA match area and UT-Martin misplaced 3-0 within the 16-17 play-in match to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
Across the nation
Competing as independents are the outstanding applications that squared off for the indoor NCAA title, Texas and Nebraska, however have reverse aims on the sand.
The Longhorns’ debut seashore season netted a 1-12 document with crossover athletes. Nonetheless, Texas aspires to construct a nationwide contender after hiring Coach Stein Metzger away from storied UCLA. Metzer hit the portal exhausting and picked up a bounty of expertise that included second-team AVCA All-American Karin Zolnercikova (Stetson), Maddison Parmelly (a star for Florida Gulf Coast), Emma Grace Robertson (extremely productive as a freshman at Florida Atlantic) and 5-foot-11 redshirt freshman Macey Butler (UCLA), an Austin native with deep coaching in USA Volleyball’s developmental program.
Nebraska (15-5 in 2023) will proceed to have its seashore crew function a coaching platform for its indoor program, slicing off its schedule in mid-March. The entire Huskers’ acquainted hardcourt stars are on the seashore roster, together with Lexi Rodriguez, Harper Murray and Merritt Beason. Followers in volleyball-mad Nebraska doubtless will carefully monitor the progress of heralded freshman Skyler Pierce.
Tampa (21-13) returns Division-II All-American Payton Brunick and would be the host faculty for 2 high-profile occasions, in addition to enjoying in FSU’s Seminole Seaside Bash. Colorado Mesa is coming off a 19-8 marketing campaign by which it was runner-up to Tampa within the AVCA Small Faculty Championships, and has booked a schedule sprinkled with “title” opponents.
Baptisms of fireside out of the field
The marquee occasions of the NCAA seashore season’s opening week will happen in Hawaii, Houston and three Florida cities, with a shout-out to the hoedown in Bayou Nation. All 20 ranked groups will hit the sand throughout first-week motion that spans Thursday by means of Sunday.
Gathering on Queen’s Seaside for the Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Seaside Traditional on Thursday, Friday and Saturday might be an all-star lineup of No. 1 USC (the three-time defending NCAA champions), No. 2 UCLA (the 2023 NCAA runner-up), No. 5 Loyola Marymount, No. 7 Stanford and host Hawaii, ranked ninth.
Houston Christian will welcome No. 3 TCU, No. 6 Louisiana State, No. 15 Washington and Central Arkansas to its Third Coast Faculty Traditional on Friday and Saturday.
No. 3 Florida State will be a part of No. 13 Florida Worldwide, Coastal Carolina, Chattanooga, North Florida, Palm Seaside Atlantic and host Jacksonville for the Dolphin Duels on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Hopping over to Florida’s West Coast, the Tampa Invitational has a stacked lineup on Friday and Saturday that includes No. 11 Florida Atlantic, No. 12 Georgia State, No. 17. South Carolina, No. 18 Arizona State and the host Spartans (the defending D-II champs).
In Central Florida, the Stetson Spring Fling on Friday and Saturday in quaint DeLand may have the host Hatters (ranked sixteenth), Florida Gulf Coast, Southern Mississippi, Mercer and Eckerd.
Down on the Bayou, Coach Yasmin Tan of McNeese State will jump-start her crew’s inaugural season with the Cowgirl Seaside Bash in Lake Charles, Louisiana, on Friday and Saturday. Cinched in for the primary rodeo are the No. 20 Cal Poly Mustangs, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Nicholls State from cross-state Thibodeaux and the Tarleton State Texans, a fellow debut program out of Stephenville, the self-proclaimed “Cowboy Capital of the World.”
Staying within the Delta, Tulane’s Inexperienced Wave Invitational on Friday and Saturday welcomes New Orleans, North Alabama, Stephen F. Austin, Southeastern Louisiana and Spring Hill Faculty of Alabama. The outlier on this down-home affair is Oregon.
Flipping to the Pacific Coast, No. 8 California will play host to San Jose State and American River on Friday, and Saint Mary’s and Santa Clark on Saturday. The Pepperdine Problem in Malibu will see the Nineteenth-ranked Waves, No. 10 Lengthy Seaside State and Vanguard in a tri-dual on Saturday.
Within the desert, the Cactus Traditional in Tucson on Friday and Saturday contains host Arizona, Boise State, Cal State Bakersfield, UTEP, San Francisco and Colorado Mesa.
In close by Phoenix, No. 14 Grand Canyon will maintain two days of tri-duals with Arizona Christian and Ottawa of Arizona on Saturday, and Boise State (pulling double desert obligation) and Alabama-Birmingham on Sunday.
And tucked away within the Ozarks is the Missouri State Event with the host Bears, Tennessee-Martin, Louisiana-Monroe, Lindenwood, Oklahoma Wesleyan and Hendrix Faculty.
Half 1: https://volleyballmag.com/ncaa-beach-volleyball-preview-part-1-022024/