GULF SHORES, Ala. – No. 12 seed North Florida beach volleyball battles No. 5 seed and four-straight reigning national champions USC in the first round of the 2025 NCAA Beach Volleyball Championship on Friday, May 2 at 10 a.m. ET in Gulf Shores, Ala. 
 
Every dual through the first three rounds will be streamed live on ESPN2 and the Championship Final will be aired on ESPN. Each dual will have live statistics that can be found at the StatBroadcast link above. 
 
It marks the second-straight and second-ever appearance in the NCAA Championship for North Florida. North Florida is one of eight non-Power Four and one of 16 teams on the national stage. The No. 12 seed is a program-best for North Florida after it was the No. 16 seed last season. 
 
North Florida earned automatic qualification to the NCAA Championship when it captured its sixth overall and second-straight Atlantic Sun Championships title on Saturday. The tandem of senior Mariana Feliciano Sanchez and junior Madison Espy was named 2025 ASUN Pair of the Tournament. Redshirt sophomore Sophia Notaro and senior Andrea Da Silva joined Feliciano and Espy on the 2025 ASUN All-Tournament Team. The Ospreys tallied nine ASUN Postseason selections prior to the postseason tournament. 
 
The NCAA Championship will run from Friday-Sunday, May 2-4, with the Second Round and Semifinals on Saturday and the Final on Sunday.

SANTA MONICA, Calif. — UC Davis senior Kylie Miller earned a spot on the All-Big West Second Team, the conference announced Thursday. 

Miller received the honor after a standout season playing in the number one spot for the Aggies, helping UC Davis secure a big 3-2 victory against Oregon on Mar. 29. This marks Miller’s third career All-Big West honor. 

She finishes the season 13-14 overall, with over 65 career wins. Along with her partner Tabitha Mitchell, she went undefeated in many weekends throughout the season. She showcased her skill, helping the Aggies advance into bracket play of the Big West Championships in Santa Monica, Calif.

Miller showcased her skill, determination, and unwavering commitment to elevating her team when it mattered most. This marks a significant achievement in her collegiate career, further solidifying her place among the conference’s elite players. 

Full List of Awards: 

Pairs Team of the Year: Malia Gementera & Taylor Hagenah, Long Beach State

Freshman of the Year: Demi Wagdy, Long Beach State

Coach of the Year: Mike Campbell, Long Beach State

All-Big West First Team

Alana Embry, Hawai’i

Ella Erteltova, Cal State Bakersfield

Piper Ferch, Cal Poly

Malia Gementera, Long Beach State

Taylor Hagenah, Long Beach State

Erin Inskeep, Cal Poly

Vivi Kaelin, Cal State Bakersfield

Izzy Martinez, Cal Poly

Logan Walter, Cal Poly

Julia Westby, Long Beach State

All-Big West Second Team

Sarah Burton, Hawai’i 

Ella Connor, Cal Poly 

Skyler Germann, Long Beach State

Natalie Glenn, Long Beach State 

Caprice Lorenzo, Hawai’i

Kylie Miller, UC Davis

Bridgette Smith, Sacramento State

Caitlin Volkmann, Sacramento State

Demi Wagdy, Long Beach State

Megan Widener, Long Beach State 

Honorable Mention : Ella Ensign (Cal State Bakersfield); Dylan Hall (CSUN); Hannah Heflin (CSUN); Julia Lawrenz (Hawai’i); Elise Lenehan (Cal Poly); Tia Mendiola (CSUN); Madi Nichols (Cal Poly); Quinn Perry (Cal Poly); Lindsey Sparks (Cal Poly)

Big West All-Freshman Team

Maddy Byrne, Cal Poly

Dylan Hall, CSUN 

Hannah Heflin, CSUN

Elise Lenahan, Cal Poly

Demi Wagdy, Long Beach State

Jasmine Wanderler, Hawai’i 

“Recruiting this class was such a rewarding process and I couldn’t be more excited to have them joining the George Mason volleyball family,” said Shifflett Bachmann. “They will continue to push the program forward and bring new levels of physicality and competitiveness to our play. They’re also just a group of fantastic people and we can’t wait to have them in the gym with us!”

The new additions are:

Meredith Brown 

Brown is a redshirt-sophomore transfer from the University of Northern Alabama. Original from Crestwood, Ky., the 6’4″ middle blocker attended Mercy Academy and played for Union Volleyball. She is majoring in biology.

Nia Thompson

A native of San Diego, Calif., Thompson is very familiar with George Mason through her mom, Amy (Boone) Thompson ’95, who was a member of the 1994 Patriots women’s volleyball team. However, Thompson, a 5’11” outside hitter, has made a name for herself. Playing for Westview high school and WAVE volleyball club, Thompson has been named a two-time MVP, 1st team All-CIF San Diego, Offensive Player of the Year, 1st team All-Coastal League, 1st team All-Palomar League, and to the 2024 Volleyballmag Dream Team. Thompson plans to major in political science. 

Morgan Inemer 

A 6’1″ outside hitter from Trophy Club, Texas, Inemer is planning to go into nursing. While playing at Liberty Christian Argyle high school and with the Dallas Skyline volleyball club, she has garnered numerous accolades, including 6A Freshman Newcomer of the Year, District MVP TAPPS 1-6A, First Team All-State TAPPS 6A, and her team placed 3rd in the 17U Nationals Open Division. 

 

Kiera Hamilton 

Hamilton will come to Fairfax as a 6’2″ outside hitter from Tuscon, Ariz. The Arizona 6A South Regional Player of the Year will graduate from Tucson High Magnet School. She played club for Club Cactus Juniors and will enter college undecided on her major.

Ava Cheney

Another Tucson, Ariz. native, Cheney is a 5’10” setter. She’s played club for Zona Volleyball Club and was named to the 2024 USAV Nationals All-Tournament Team – Liberty Division. She’ll graduate from Tanque Verde High School and plans to pursue a major in biology at George Mason. 

The Patriots women’s volleyball team went 11-19, 6-12 A-10 last season, garnering the programs most wins since 2010. The programs graduates four off their 2024 roster including Olyvia Kennedy, the program’s first player to record 1,000 kills in the 25-point rally scoring era, and Camille Larkin, who recorded the program’s 4th best career-hitting percentage (.323).

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – Cal Poly beach volleyball was all over the All-Big West awards that came out Thursday as a total of 10 players received All-Big West honors.

All four of the Mustangs’ No. 1 and No. 2 pair players: Piper Ferch, Erin Inskeep, Izzy Martinez, and Logan Walter all earned First Team All-Big West honors. Redshirt junior Ella Connor was named Second Team All-Big West

Sophomore Quinn Perry, graduate student Lindsey Sparks, senior Madi Nichols, and freshman Elise Lenahan all were named Honorable Mention All-Big West. Lenahan and fellow freshman Maddy Byrne were both named to the Big West All-Freshman Team.

Ferch and Inskeep have been one of the top pairs in the country this season. They are 27-6 with several victories over No. 1 pairs from some of the top teams in the nation. Earlier this season, they became the winningest pair in program history, currently at 57 career victories.

 

Pairing for the first time this year, Walter and Martinez have been incredible for the Mustangs at the No. 2 spot. They are currently 29-7 this season and have won eight matches in a row.

 

Connor is 25-9 combined this season with different partners. She’s primarily been playing with Madi Nichols at the No. 4 spot in the lineup. Together, they are 17-6 this season. This is the third time Connor has earned All-Big West honors in her career.

Perry is 26-9 combined with different playing partners this year. She has played with Lindsey Sparks at the No. 3 spot the most, going 11-4 together there. This is Perry’s second year in a row earning All-Conference honors.

Sparks is 15-8 this season while playing with four partners. Primarily with the aforementioned Perry, they are11-4 at the No. 3 spot together. Between her time at UCLA and Cal Poly, this is the fourth time in her collegiate career she’s earned All-Conference honors.

Nichols has a combined record of 26-10 this season, split mostly between the No. 3 and No. 4 spots in the lineup. She has played the majority of her matches with Ella Connor at the No. 4 spot, going 17-6 with her. This is the second straight year she has earned All-Big West honors.

Lenahan has a record of 20-8 so far in her rookie campaign, garnering her both All-Big West Honorable Mention and All-Freshman Team honors. She has played almost exclusively at the No. 5 spot and with senior Abbey Reinard. 

Also earning All-Freshman Team honors is Maddy Byrne who went 9-1 this season. She played with two different partners and played primarily at the No. 4 spot when she was in the lineup.

The No. 5 seed Mustangs start the NCAA Championship Friday against No. 11 seed LSU at 1 p.m. PT on ESPN2 and ESPN+.

BOONE, N.C. — App State Volleyball head coach Chad Sutton announced his coaching staff Thursday with the addition of three assistants. His staff will include Ed Tolentino as associate head coach, Brooke Phillips as assistant coach & recruiting coordinator, and Valerie Sutton as assistant coach & director of volleyball operations. 
 
“I am really excited about the staff that is joining me in this endeavor to take App State over the top,” Chad Sutton said. “As with recruiting, my goal is always to bring the very best of people together. This staff consists of high-character, high-quality people first and foremost. Their acumen for the game and ability to teach, connect, and inspire further sets them apart. Lastly, what makes me most excited about each of them is their desire to impact our student-athletes beyond the court. This is a staff that truly cares about our players’ experience and works to enhance it in every way. I thank them for their belief in me as a leader and cannot wait to work alongside them each and every day.”
 
Ed Tolentino | Associate Head Coach 
“I’m excited to start this new chapter of my coaching career and use my experience to help continue the rise of this program,” Tolentino said. “I share the same vision and goals as Coach Sutton, and I look forward to coming to Boone.”
 
Tolentino comes to Boone after leading Xavier’s volleyball program as the associate head coach. He had served as Xavier’s associate head coach since 2017 and was an assistant coach for the Musketeers for the 2016 season. Last season, the Musketeers recorded four sweeps and a pair of five-set victories. Xavier also had its first Big East Co-Freshman of the Year in four seasons in Margo Kemp, who recorded a hitting percentage of .345 and appeared in all 28 of Xavier’s matches during the 2024 campaign. 
 
In 2023, the Musketeers went 18-12, placing fourth in the Big East regular season standings and appearing for a second consecutive year in the conference tournament. Xavier also notched its first program victory against No. 11 Creighton, a Big East rival, marking its first ranked win since 2007. Tolentino also mentored four-time Big East honoree Carrigan O’Reilly. O’Reilly was the second Musketeer to eclipse 4,000 assists and 1,000 digs in addition to tallying six career triple-doubles and 47 career double-doubles. Tolentino was a member of the staff that won the 2022 Big East Coaching Staff of the Year award after helping guide Xavier to a 21-12 record, a third-place finish in the Big East regular season standings and an appearance in the NIVC Quarterfinals. Across his nine seasons in Cincinnati, Tolentino guided eight athletes to All-Big East honors, two athletes to AVCA All-Region First-Team accolades and one athlete (Abbey Bessler) to an AVCA All-America accolade.
 
Tolentino has been a collegiate volleyball coach since 1997, and his coaching journey has included stops at UConn, Morehead State, Georgia Tech, Michigan, Michigan State, Eastern Michigan, Madonna (Mich.), and Oakland. 
 
In 2015, Tolentino assisted UConn to a 16-15 (10-10 AAC) record and two All-AAC honorees. 
 
For two seasons, Tolentino was on the coaching staff for Morehead State, where he helped guide the Eagles to their fourth consecutive Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) title and second NCAA Tournament appearance. 
 
From 2009-12, he was an assistant coach at Georgia Tech. He assisted Georgia Tech to 72 wins as well as an appearance in the 2009 NCAA Tournament. Individually, he guided three athletes to AVCA All-America accolades. 
 
Tolentino has also coached at the club level with the Premier Volleyball Academy in Maumee, Ohio, and M-Juniors in Ann Arbor, Mich. 
 
Tolentino is a member of the American Volleyball Coaches Association and National Athletic Trainers Association. Before becoming a volleyball coach, he was a minor league trainer for the Detroit Tigers Organization. 
 
He earned a bachelor’s degree from Detroit Mercy in 1997. During his collegiate playing career, he was a setter and defensive specialist at Macomb College before studying at Detroit Mercy.
 
Brooke Phillips | Assistant Coach & Recruiting Coordinator
“I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to join App State Volleyball and work alongside Coach Sutton and the rest of this talented staff,” Phillips said. “I’m eager to build relationships, attract outstanding student-athletes, and help push this program forward.”
 
For the 2025 spring season, Phillips was a graduate assistant coach at Mercer. She also capped her playing career as a setter at Mercer during the 2024 season. Phillips, who was named the 2024 SoCon Setter of the Year, appeared in 33 matches and 123 sets for the Bears. She averaged 9.77 assists per set, totaling 1,202 on the year. 
 
Prior to her time in Macon, Ga., Phillips made stops at Lipscomb (2019-Spring 2021) and IU Indy (Fall 2021-2023). Across three seasons at IU Indy, then called IUPUI, Phillips appeared in 83 matches and 316 sets, totaling 1,001 assists (3.17 per set) and 743 digs (2.35 per set). She also served up 120 aces with the Jaguars. During the 2021 spring season, Phillips competed at Lipscomb, appearing in 13 matches. She ranked second on the team in the assists category, tallying 178.   
 
Valerie Sutton | Assistant Coach & Director of Volleyball Operations 
“I am excited and thankful for the opportunity to help take App State Volleyball over the top,” Valerie Sutton said. 
 
Valerie Sutton served as an assistant coach at Mercer for two seasons and had coached in a similar role at Coastal Carolina. 
 
She joined the Mercer staff in 2023. In her two seasons with the Bears, she helped lead the team to a 42-19 record. Last season, the Bears went 26-7, marking their best program record, and clinched the program’s first outright SoCon regular season title as well as their first postseason appearance. She also helped guide the Bears to a 16-12 overall record and 12-4 SoCon record during the 2023 season. The 2023 season was highlighted by the program’s first win at Samford in nearly three decades. 
 
In 2022, Sutton was part of the coaching staff at Coastal Carolina, where she helped guide the Chanticleers to 17 victories and a runner-up finish in the Sun Belt East Division standings. The Chanticleers recorded a team hitting percentage of .235, and their non-conference slate was highlighted by a shutout of Virginia Tech. 
 
Sutton made her coaching debut as an assistant coach at McCutcheon High School in Indiana. She helped guide the Mavericks to the program’s first state championship, a record of 30-6, and 26 sweeps. In the program’s seven matches in the state tournament, the Mavericks only dropped two sets. 
 
A two-time All-American at Purdue, Sutton (then Valerie Nichol) appeared in 455 sets and 132 matches for the Boilermakers from 2011-14. She registered 903 kills and a career hitting percentage of .215 with 2,149 assists, 623 digs, 213 blocks, and 57 aces. Additionally, she notched 30 double-doubles and four triple-doubles and was a two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection. She was also a member of the USA National Collegiate A2 Team (2012, 2013) and a member of the USA College U22 National Team that made an appearance in the 2014 Global Challenge in Europe. In 2017, she received an invitation to the USA National Team Training Camp. For eight years, she competed professionally in Germany, Poland, Puerto Rico, and the United States.
 
In 2015, she earned her bachelor’s degree in movement and sport science from Purdue. She married App State head coach Chad Sutton, whom she had coached with at Coastal Carolina and Mercer, in 2023. They had their son, Brody, in 2025.