Sports

Trev Alberts provides update as A&M enters 2025

Published

5 months ago

August 14, 2025

Trev Alberts provides update as A&M enters 2025

The landscape of collegiate athletics continues to change, and Trev Alberts is the man tasked with guiding Texas A&M into this new and uncertain era. The Aggie Director of Athletics joined TexAgs Live on Thursday to discuss a number of topics as A&M begins a new athletic year.

Key notes from Trev Alberts interview

It’s great to have Billy Liucci here on a Thursday. It’s a big deal when he’s here on a Thursday.
You can spend two weeks away, get back together and then talk about all the changes. That’s the world we live in now. You have to embrace it. I’m proud of our coaches, staff and our entire University. We’ve attacked this change in the appropriate way from our donors to you guys. I’m proud of where we are right now.
There continue to be changes. We’ve tried to talk about this nationally with the implementation committee, and it has been fascinating to watch it all play out. First, you have to think about the “board of directors” of the College Sports Commission is four commissioners. Part of the challenges in college athletics is that there isn’t centralized decision-making. Greg Sankey is doing exactly what he should be doing, and he’s working as hard as he can every day for the membership of the SEC. But so is Brett Yormark of the Big 12, Tony Pettitti of the Big Ten and Jim Phillips of the ACC. With all of this that feels unsettled, those people have to agree.
Specific to the College Sports Commission, the implementation committee worked really hard on recommendations about rules. At the end of the day, if you don’t have rules, you don’t have enforcement, and then you don’t have much. They have to hold. Part of the settlement is that plaintiffs’ attorneys and others get to weigh in on the implementation of rules. We don’t get to create rules and enforce them. They have to be agreed on. This is new, and there will be bumps to this. Brian Seeley has three people total in the CSC right now, so he’s staffing up. We’re making the right progress and steps. It’s just going to take some time. We’re making progress.
I’ve never been afraid of change. In fact, I kind of enjoy it. I view these opportunities as a chance to make a difference. We work as hard as we can every day to position Texas A&M. I never lose my focus advocating and advancing A&M, but being in those rooms gives you access to information that can help you locally. These are real challenges.
I’m the product of the blessed privilege of getting to be a college football player in the 1990s. I would not be sitting here today if I hadn’t had the privilege to play for Tom Osborne. We have a duty and responsibility to fight for college football and college athletics as a way to positively impact young people. I view this position as a privilege.
We’re not there yet because we haven’t had the ability to proactively lay out what the rules are. You have disagreements over what is an associated entity, vs. what can we do, vs. what can’t we do. We will get more communication from the CSC as they totally fill out their staff. It will happen. It will come. We will be successful with it. We’re in a period of unknowns right now. I hear all of the number of deals that have gone into NIL Go, how many of them have been approved, how many dollars have been and what has not been approved. The system is working. However, the culture of college athletics is to tell me the rules, and I’ll find a way to circumvent them. We have to change that mindset. The structure that has been put in place is a good one and will help do that, but we’ll have some growing pains because of our history.
Part of the challenge in my seat is that my first and foremost responsibility is to protect the integrity of the Texas A&M brand. But at the same time, our executive team can’t create barriers for our coaches to where they’re unsuccessful. There is a balance there, and we try to be as aggressive as we can while fighting hard to make sure we’re operating within the rules. We’re always looking for clarity.
We have a really smart football coach in Mike Elko, who knows what he’s doing, has a great plan and has surrounded himself with great people. The rest of our coaches are the same way. I’m confident with our ability to create the right strategies within the rules and within legal.
First and foremost, Jonathan Wallace has been in our department before. He’s focused on the NIL space and working through the education. We have a partnership with the Mays School of Business when it comes to making sure our student-athletes are educated on financial literacy. We offer a lot of services. To be transparent, some of the athletes do not take advantage of them, but it’s our responsibility to make them available.
We just hired a young man named Zach Phillips, who was senior counsel at Playfly. He was on the ground to help create Playfly Max. As part of our relationship that’s going to begin next year, a significant component of competitive success will be how good you are at getting fair-market value NIL deals. Playfly Max will provide a GM for you, but we chose to hire the GM anyway. He has some industry expertise. We will have four full-time people at Texas A&M who are not selling corporate sponsorships. They will be working with the Association of Former Students and the network of people who run those companies in order to grow fair-market NIL opportunities for our student-athletes. That organically grows your cap. That’s a piece we need to leverage and be good at. Phillips has been here for two weeks now, and we’ve added to the firepower in that spot. We first have to get the deals, and then we need to have the support on the backend. I feel good about the support we have there.
Playfly did not underestimate the A&M brand. We’re still in our last year of Learfield, and I’m very grateful to Learfield and the years we’ve been partners with them. We still have people on the ground in sales for Learfield, and I want to acknowledge them. A couple of weeks ago, I spent a couple of days up in New York. I was re-energized after that trip because Playfly has 1,400 employees. They spend a lot of time in the pro space.
To those who watch this show, I want to say thank you to them. The reality is that brand growth is a result of a bunch of people who have invested in care. That is real.
At Playfly, there are data scientists. There is a lot of scientific stuff. Companies aren’t investing willy-nilly. As we professionalize, we have to start thinking of ourselves as a media company. Texas A&M Athletics is its own media company, and it’s about the brand value. Everything we do will be about how strong our brand is. We know where we are. We know where others are around us. We have to create strategies to accelerate the brand growth and not let it slide. Winning is a big part of that. We’ve done great things here, but it would be another thing if our brand value was high because we just got done winning eight national championships. Look at the upside and opportunity for Texas A&M. That’s what’s exciting to be a part of.
First, you have to be happy that the President of the United States cares enough and thinks there is value in college athletics to even talk about it. I think college athletics and college football are critically important to being an American. The SCORE Act, which is working its way through the House with bipartisan support, is really, really important, and it helps to codify some of these things. The Office of the President says this is important, and he can effect change. We have more work to do, and it’s not imminent that we’ll have Congressional support. What’s encouraging is that we’re as far as we’ve ever been in a divided Congress. It still faces an uphill battle, but if the President gets behind it and we can get something out of the House that makes sense, we may get the support for the protections of the student-athletes that they actually need. As the CSC professionalizes and gets rules in place, we could have a durable, sustainable and fair system that we can believe in going forward.
The pace of modernization is what’s going to be important. The football will remain the football, but all the things outside of it will be professionalized. You’re seeing more corporate sponsors. There are opportunities for us there. We’ve talked about outside events, and those opportunities are real. Look at where the NFL and pro sports have gone, and I don’t think we’ll go that far. They’re sharing 50 percent of revenue with players, and we’re sharing 22 percent. It’s not illogical for me to think that the feel and approach of some of our games will transition more to the professional experience. That’s where we have to be careful and thoughtful of how that modernization does not take away from Texas A&M’s culture as a football program, athletic program and entire institution.
College athletics are very much undervalued. Looking at corporate sponsorships between the Houston Texans and Texas A&M, the numbers are extraordinarily different. It’s much more for them. But look at the number of people who call themselves a fan. We have to accelerate that kind of growth. It’s the monetization of the brand that we’ve never had to think through.
There is so much fragmentation in the negotiations surrounding college athletics. In the NFL, you have one entity negotiating TV contracts and sponsorship deals. In college athletics, we’re now down to a Power 4, but every conference is negotiating a TV deal. They’re all undervalued because there is fragmentation in negotiation. Can we find a way to eliminate that fragmentation? Texas A&M can do great deals for itself, but it will be limited without the whole collection of brands.
One of the things that Playfly has experience in is holding events like the George Strait concert at Kyle Field in 2024 and potentially tying them back into NIL. That is part of the strategy, but absolutely, adding outside events as a way to bring in additional revenue to the entire department is something that we need to be focused on. Jerry Jones has looked at ways to use AT&T Stadium other than Cowboys game. We need to do that, and we will. Here’s the difference: Texas A&M University is a non-profit entity. We have to think through things like UBIT. There are legal things we have to work through, but that is not an excuse for why we did not have an event this summer. If we’re going to open our facilities up to our community, there might be some legal structural thinking in how we get there, and we are engaged with that. We see the opportunity.
I’m excited about the LED lights, and we had a meeting about them yesterday. We are asking people to spend significant dollars to buy suites, buy seats and buy seat licensing fees. If the experience of Kyle Field is something you can get by sitting at home and watching Hulu, we’re making mistakes. We might be behind in that area, and we’re working hard to make sure our fans, suite holders and others see value. We have to protect the success of Kyle Field, not only in football but that facility in general.
We’re blessed here to have sports fully funded. Everybody who loves A&M came together to figure out how we use this opportunity to not fall behind and to actually accelerate our ability. There might be fewer than 10 schools with that many fully-funded sports that decided to go all-in like us. Everybody is different because we have different Title IX numbers and DSAs. Every possible roster spot that is allowed to have a scholarship has one today. We’re not building up to it over four years. We worked hard in the business office and with revenue sharing. Very few places have this kind of support like the 12th Man gives to our University. It has allowed us to do this. We don’t have any excuses. The 12th Man has given us everything we need, and it’s our time to put our heads down, execute and get it done.
I don’t want to do anything to put added pressure on a coach. These jobs, more than ever before, require the athletic director and head football coach to have a partnership and trust. You won’t be successful when you’re fighting each other. From day one, when Mike Elko and I sat down, there had to be humility to both pieces. I am here to support him. I want to block and tackle for him. I want to clear the path because I trust Mike Elko and that he knows how to build the right culture, right roster and right staff around him to win at the highest level. We have an understanding, and I admire him and his work ethic. He’s a very genuine and authentic human being, and we have the right football coach for Texas A&M. He has a very good football team this year, but what I’ve seen differently is that he has created the culture that’s necessary to create the mindset that’s necessary to do the work that’s necessary to win. It’s about the team. It’s about Texas A&M. That’s the culture Mike Elko has built. I’m grateful for him, and I think he’s grateful for the opportunity at Texas A&M. It’s fun to work with a coach that you have mutual respect for. He trusts me on the business side, and I trust him on the football side. I do the best I can to help him.

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Sports

Bobcat Volleyball Standouts Named to Academic All-District Squad

Published

6 seconds ago

December 31, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Montana State volleyball standouts Lauren Lindseth, Madilyn Siebler and Karli Heidemann were selected to the 2025-26 Academic All-District® Women’s Volleyball Teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognizing the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the court and in the classroom.

The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, and NAIA.

Lindseth, a Great Falls native, earned Second Team All-Big Sky Conference honors after guiding the Bobcats to their eighth straight Big Sky Conference Tournament appearance. Lindseth led in the Big Sky in overall and league matches, averaging 4.68 and 4.78 digs, respectively. She was also a four-time Big Sky Player of the Week honoree this past season.

Lindseth finished her career at MSU second in all-time digs with 1,987 saves. That total ranks fifth in Big Sky Conference history. The 5-9 libero also completed her career ranked ninth on MSU’s all-time ace chart with 124. She is a majoring in kinesiology/exercise science.

Siebler, a 5-10 outside hitter from Omaha, Neb., is a microbiology/pre-med major at Montana State. This past fall, she averaged 2.04 kills and 1.55 digs per set. She recorded a season-high 21 kills in Montana State’s 3-2 win over Montana in Missoula and notched a season-best 17 digs at Idaho State.

Heidemann, a 6-1 sophomore outside hitter from Diller, Neb., played and started in all 28 matches for MSU this fall. She finished the season with a team-best 323 kills, averaging 3.02 per set. In addition, she recorded 239 digs, averaging 2.23 per contest. Heidemann had a season-high 21 kills in MSU’s win over Northern Arizona and 18 digs at Portland State. She is a kinesiology/exercise science major.

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Top 10 Moments of 2025

Published

15 minutes ago

December 31, 2025

Your Sports Nation

HICKORY, N.C. – It was another great year for the Lenoir-Rhyne Athletics program. Lenoir-Rhyne students and faculty accomplished so much during the calendar year. Below are the top 10 stories of 2025.

#10 – Volleyball earns third consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance

Head coach Nicole Barringer has the Lenoir-Rhyne volleyball team rolling. Under Barringer’s leadership the Bears advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the third straight season, a program first. They took down Lander 3-1 to advance to the third round for just the third time in Lenoir-Rhyne volleyball history. They posted an intense reverse sweep of Anderson to advance to their second consecutive SAC Championship.

Individually, Emmaleigh Allen was named the South Atlantic Conference Volleyball Scholar Athlete of the Year, a Lenoir-Rhyne volleyball first. Five Bear were named to the All-SAC Team while Averie Dale, Kaylie Cleaver, and Hadley Prince were AVCA Honorable Mention All-Americans.

#9 – Track and Field success

Lenoir-Rhyne Track & Field saw continued success this season, highlighted by the incredible performance of Alexis Brown. Brown set the NCAA DII records in the 100m (10.93), outdoor 200m (22.35), and indoor 200m (22.88). She won national titles in all those events, bringing her career total to eight national titles. Due to her accomplishments she was named the SAC Female Athlete of the Year, USTFCCCA National Track Athlete of the Year, and CWSA Honda DII Female Athlete of the Year.

As a team the Bears were runner-ups on both the men’s and women’s side at both the indoor and outdoor championships. Oliver Thatcher and Miranda Marr were each named to the All-America Second Team in their respective multi events at the national championships, while the 4x100m team finished seventh at nationals, earning All-America First Team status. Joining them at the national championships was the women’s 4x400m team and Havyn Spain in the 400m. Both Spain and the 4x400m team set school records throughout the year.

#8 – Tye Roberson becomes first AFCA All-America First Team honoree since 2015

Tye Roberson was named to the AFCA, AP, and Don Hansen All-America First Team due to his excellence in the return game. The Laurens, South Carolina, native set a new program record with an average of 41.9 yards per kick return this season. That average led NCAA DII and was second amongst all NCAA division. He was one of just two NCAA DII athletes with three kick return touchdowns, returning one for 98 yards against Anderson, 87 yards against Mars Hill, and 95 yards vs. Catawba. He is the first AFCA First Team All-America honoree since offensive Joe Ray in 2015.

#7 – Softball wins back-to-back SAC Tournament Championships

For the 10th time in program history and the second consecutive year, the Lenoir-Rhyne softball team won the South Atlantic Conference Tournament Championship. This was their first back-to-back title since they won four straight from 2010-13. Madison Wilson was named SAC Tournament MVP due to her incredible performances both on the mound and at the plate. Madison Primm and Lani Warren joined a prestigious group as they were named both NFCA All-Americans and CSC Academic All-Americans. During a win over Emory & Henry head coach Shena Hollar picked up her 1000th win at Lenoir-Rhyne, and her 1,063 career victories places her third among active NCAA DII coaches.

This season the Lenoir-Rhyne softball team played their games in the brand new McCrorie Family Stadium. This stadium sits in the upper echelon of NCAA DII, featuring stadium-style seating, extended dugouts, concession stand, two VIP viewing areas, and a brand new press box with included soundproof broadcast booth. The stadium is named in honor of Hank McCrorie ’60, and his wife, Bernice McRCrorie, who made the lead gift in support of the project.

#6 – Women’s Soccer claims third NCAA Regional Title in five years

Despite both roster and coaching turnover, the Lenoir-Rhyne women’s soccer team continues to win. Head coach Justin Maullin and his squad finished with a record of 13-5-3 and won their third regional title in five years, taking down Columbus State (1-0), North Georgia (1-0), and Lander (1-0) en route to the championship. They would eventually fall 2-1 in the national quarterfinals to eventual national champion Florida Tech. Lenoir-Rhyne remains the only SAC school since 2017 to win a women’s soccer regional.

Seven Bears were named to the SAC All-Conference team, two on the first team, one on the second, and three on the third. This year was the program’s 17th full season (9-1-1 in shortened Covid year) that they finished with double-digit wins, a streak that dates back to 2008. Their NCAA tournament appearance was the program’s 12th, and sixth consecutive. Due to their on field accomplishments Lenoir-Rhyne finished the season ranked eighth in the United Soccer Coaches national poll.

#5 – Lenoir-Rhyne Administration leadership transition

2025 was a year for new leadership at Lenoir-Rhyne University, with Daron Montgomery ’95 completing his first year as Vice President for Athletics. Montgomery has provided stability and a renewed vision for LR’s Division II athletic programs. This milestone coincides with the inauguration of President Summer McGee and her first six months of leadership, during which Dr. McGee has set a clear strategic direction and energized the campus community. Together, their early tenures signal a promising future for collaboration and continued growth at Lenoir-Rhyne.

#4 – Women’s Triathlon wins third national title in four years

Head coach Harley Mason has built a dynasty in Hickory. Her Bears squad won their third DII Women’s Triathlon title in four years, avenging last year’s loss to Wingate with a four-point victory. Zoila Sicilia joined teammate Sabrina Fleig as the only women’s triathletes to win a national title, taking home the individual crown with a time of 1:03:59. Fleig finished runner-up behind Sicilia and Claudia Teran-Romagosa was fourth. All three were named CTCA First Team All-Americans, while Isis Gaskin was a Second Team honoree and Alex Linden an Honorable Mention. Coach Mason picked up her fourth consecutive National Coach of the Year award and has now taken home that honor every year she has coached the Bears.

#3 – Beyond the Bricks

Lenoir-Rhyne athletes excelled in the classroom, posting a 3.44 average GPA for the 2025 calendar year. 262 athletes posted 4.00 GPAs and 789 finished with at least a 3.50 in either the spring or fall semester. Every varsity team on campus had above a 3.00 team GPA. 21 teams posted at least a 3.50 in either the spring or fall semester. Additionally, LR won the South Atlantic Conference’s league-wide challenge for Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), an award based on participation in Play4Kay, Make-A-Wish, Team Impact, Community Service, and overall sports GPA.

#2 – Men’s Basketball’s run to the Elite Eight

Head coach Brent Owen and staff led the Bears to arguably their best season in program history in 2024-25, setting a program record for wins (29) and advancing to the NCAA DII Elite Eight for the first time in program history. Lenoir-Rhyne brought home their first SAC Tournament Championship since 2003 with an 82-78 comeback victory over Lincoln Memorial in the championship. The run continued a week later when the Bears won their first NCAA Southeast Regional championship thanks to a 76-73 overtime victory over UNC Pembroke.

For his efforts coach Owen was named South Atlantic Conference Coach of the Year and NABC Southeast District Co-Coach of the Year. Ziare Wells, Hantz Louis-Jeune, and Conrad Luczynski were named to the All-SAC Team, with Wells being named SAC Newcomer of the Year and SAC Tournament MVP. Luczynski scored 60 points over three games in the Southeast Regional and was named Tournament MVP.

#1 – Baseball’s magical run to national semi-finals

Under the guidance of first-year head coach Adam Skonieczki, the Lenoir-Rhyne baseball team put together a magical season that saw them advance all the way to the national semi-finals. The Bears finished runners-up to Catawba in both the South Atlantic Conference regular season and tournament championships. After breezing through the NCAA Southeast Regional at Belmont Abbey, Lenoir-Rhyne won their final two games in a best-of-three series at Catawba to claim the first NCAA Southeast Regional Championship in program history. Lenoir-Rhyne went 2-2 at the NCAA Championships, coming within one game of the championship series. They finished the year with a No. 4 ranking by the NCBWA.

This offense was quite possibly the most potent in NCAA DII history, as they finished the season ranked first in DII history in home runs (137), third in total bases (1,365), eighth in RBI’s (570), and 20th in slugging percentage (.617). Mackenzie Wainwright set new NCAA DII records for hits (121) and total bases (234), and is third all time in runs (102). Wainwright, Sal Carricato, and Cole Stanford were all named All-Americans and Stanford became the first Bear to ever be honored with Academic All-American status. Wainwright was named the Southeast Regional Player of the Year by the D2CCA, NCBWA, and ABCA and Adam Skonieczki was the ABCA Region Coach of the Year and Perfect Game National Coach of the Year.

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Sports

i-Listen with Kara David: Lara Liwanag on strength, purpose, and fighting for Filipino athletes

Published

46 minutes ago

December 31, 2025

Your Sports Nation

LARA LIWANAG ON I-LISTEN: STRENGTH, PURPOSE, AND FIGHTING FOR FILIPINO ATHLETES

Episode dropping this Wednesday December 31, 2025 5PM on GMA Public Affairs Youtube Channel, Spotify and Apple Podcast

The upcoming episode of I-Listen spotlights Lara Liwanag—elite CrossFit athlete, coach, and advocate for inclusive sports—whose journey proves that strength goes far beyond physical power.

Known as the “clutch queen” after her standout performance on Physical: Asia, Lara represented the Philippines on an international stage, competing against some of the strongest athletes in the region. Despite being underdogs with no combat sports background, Lara and her teammate pushed through fear, injury, and pressure to give an all-out performance for the country. “Manalo man o matalo,” Lara says, “we did it for the Philippines.”

Beyond competition, Lara opens up about her long road as an athlete—from childhood dreams of representing the country, to becoming a national CrossFit champion, to facing injuries, setbacks, and online criticism. A registered nurse by profession, Lara chose to follow her true calling in fitness, even when others questioned her path. “Everything happens for a reason,” she shares. “Nandito ako ngayon dahil may purpose.”

Today, Lara is not only an athlete but a mentor. Through her gym and grassroots training initiatives with Olympian Hidilyn Diaz, she coaches children—many from underprivileged backgrounds—free of charge, helping them discover their potential through sports. Her advocacy highlights a pressing issue: the lack of support and funding for Filipino athletes, despite the abundance of raw talent across the country.

In her I-Listen interview, Lara delivers a powerful message to young women and aspiring athletes: strength is beautiful, fitness is for everyone, and confidence is built by simply starting. “Kung kaya ko, kaya niyo rin,” she says.

Dropping this Wednesday, December 31, 2025, this episode of i-Listen is a story of grit, faith, and purpose—reminding us that real strength lies in perseverance, service, and lifting others as you rise.

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Joshua Knapp – Head Men’s Volleyball Coach – Men’s Volleyball Coaches

Published

1 hour ago

December 31, 2025

Your Sports Nation

The University of Lynchburg announced Joshua Knapp as the head coach of the Hornets’ Men’s Volleyball Program in December 2025. He arrived in the Hill City with experience as a coach, student-athlete, and official, bringing a versatile background that will support the continued growth of the Hornets’ emerging men’s volleyball operation.

Knapp most recently served as the head coach for the Liberty University men’s club volleyball program, where he led the team since January 2023. In that role, he managed all aspects of the program, including training direction, recruitment efforts, and the coordination of support staff. Prior to taking over as head coach, he worked with the Flames as an assistant coach from August 2022 to January 2023, helping integrate skills development, training plans, and travel logistics for the team.

In addition to his coaching experience, Knapp is also a certified volleyball official with the Virginia High School League and the NCAA, a role he began in August 2025. His work as an official allowed him to use working knowledge of volleyball rules, regulations, and procedures while exhibiting professionalism through all interactions.

A former two-sport student-athlete at Liberty University, Knapp competed for four years in a high-level collegiate setting and served as a team captain for the men’s volleyball team from 2020 through 2022. Knapp earned his B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies from Liberty University in 2022, completing academic specializations in business, sports management, and carpentry.

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TSWA Class A All-State Volleyball

Published

2 hours ago

December 31, 2025

Your Sports Nation

TSWA Class A All-State Volleyball

Published 10:03 am Wednesday, December 31, 2025

LONGVIEW – State champion Blum dominated voting for the Blue Bell/Texas Sports Writers Association Class A All-State Volleyball Team for the 2025 season.

Blum’s Kinsley McPherson earned Player of the Year honors, and Blum head coach Lauren McPherson was named Coach of the Year.

Voting was conducted by TSWA members based on nominations from coaches and media members from around the state.

COACH OF THE YEAR: Lauren McPherson, Blum

PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Kinsley McPherson, Blum

FIRST TEAM

Middle blockers: Landree Bennett, Blum; Rylee Sears, Water Valley; Addison Spaith, Neches

Outside hitters: Kinsley McPherson, Blum; McCaylen Woods, Water Valley; Haley Scott, Blum

Setter: Tallie Rufino, Blum

Libero/Defensive Specialist: Addie Koetting, Blum

SECOND TEAM

Middle blockers: Emerson Fite, Sulphur Bluff; Janaye Coston, Water Valley; Jessica Rohde, Round Top-Carmine

Outside hitters: Bree Dooley, Round Top-Carmine; Zaylee Peyton, Sulphur Bluff; Marae Pounds, Chester

Setter: Madi Collett, Sulphur Bluff

Libero/Defensive Specialist: Audrey Gatlin, Medina

THIRD TEAM

Middle blockers: Callie Weddle, Perrin Whitt; Caitlyn Battreal, Oglesby; Braylee Clark, Woodson

Outside hitters: Brenna Briles, Forestburg; Emilee Silva, Aspermont; Crista Zirkel, Medina

Setter: Madison Markwardt, Round Top-Carmine

Libero/Defensive Specialist: Ana Servin, Sulphur Bluff

HONORABLE MENTION

Middle blockers: Zarah Wisehart, Oglesby; Kannan Collier, Perrin White; Ally Thorman, Jonesboro; Lily Payne, Chester

Outside hitters: Autumn Meyers, Oglesby; Lucchese Reilly, Perrin Whitt; Brylee Stevens, Oglesby; Alyssa Perez, Woodson; Landri McFarlin, Jonesboro; Lauren Citrano, Chester; McKieran Murphy, Perrin Whitt

Setter: Autumn Fitzpatrick, Water Valley; Nilah Stewart-Ayala, Trinidad; Ella Gustin, Jonesboro; Scarlet Aaron, Oglesby; Mailea Wimberly, Woodson

Libero/Defensive Specialist: Matti Polk, Aspermont; Natalie Carrell, Sulphur Bluff

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2026 Sand Devils schedule released – Sun Devil Athletics

Published

3 hours ago

December 31, 2025

Your Sports Nation

TEMPE – The 2026 Sun Devil Beach Volleyball schedule has been announced, marking the Sand Devils’ third season with head coach Kristen Glattfelder and second in the Big 12 conference.

The Sand Devils have 10 weekends of competition, two of them at home. The team will face 10 of the 16 teams that competed in the 2025 NCAA Beach Volleyball Championship and will play against all four national semifinalists (TCU, LMU, Cal Poly and UCLA).

ASU will start its season across the Valley at the Canyon Classic at Grand Canyon from February 20-21. The Sand Devils will face host GCU along with Colorado Mesa, UC Davis and reigning 2025 NCAA Champion and Big 12 Champion TCU.

The Sun Devils will continue to stay in state and head south to Tucson to compete in the Cactus Classic on February 27, where they will compete against Arizona and Georgia State.

The home opener will be from March 6-7, as ASU will host Arizona, Southern Miss, Arizona Christian and Nebraska at the Sun Devil Classic.

The Sand Devils will be out of state for three-consecutive weeks. From March 13-14, they will compete in Manhattan Beach at the East Meets West Invitational where they will go head-to-head against NCAA runner-up LMU, as well as UCLA, Hawai’i and Cal. ASU will travel to LSU for the Death Volley Invitational from March 20–21, facing Georgia State, Texas, Florida State and LSU, before heading to TCU for the Big 12 Preview Tournament from March 27–28.

To start the final month of the regular season, the Maroon and Gold will head home and host the Sparky Invitational where they’ll play Stetson, GCU, FIU and Ottawa from April 3-4. The Sand Devils will be back on the road the following week and compete at the COE Challenge at Cal Poly from April 10-11 and face California, Cal Poly and UCLA.

ASU will play at lone dual at Long Beach State on April 17 before heading to Tucson for the Big 12 Championships on April 23 and 24.

In its first Big 12 season, Arizona State went 22-14, setting a new win record for the program. The Sand Devils also went 9-1 on home sand and finished the season ranked No. 12 in the AVCA Coaches Poll. The team also finished second at the first Big 12 Beach Volleyball Championships, falling to TCU 3-2.

The program and players earned several awards and accolades after finishing second in the league. Daniella Kensinger, Ava Kirunchyk and Samaya Morin were all named to the Big 12 All-Conference Team. Morin was also named an AVCA Second Team All-American. In addition, the team had three pairs named Big 12 Pair of the Week.

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