The Montana volleyball program has added a pair of middle blockers through the transfer portal with Olivia LaBeau and Carley Spachman signing scholarship contracts for the Grizzlies.

LaBeau joins Montana from Montana Tech, where the Billings native was an NAIA All-American for the Orediggers. Spachman comes to Montana from East Texas A&M. The duo will both be in contention for plenty of playing time in 2025 as head coach Allison Lawrence reloads at the middle blocker position.

There was a level of familiarity with LaBeau. The Grizzly coaching staff had seen her play in person several times at Tech in spring scrimmages, and followed her Oredigger career. Montana Tech has been very successful under head coach Brian Solomon, winning at least 20 matches every year that LaBeau spent with the team.

“I feel like we have a really cool connection with Olivia because we’ve sort of seen her develop at Montana Tech for the last four years and just admired her play as someone in the state that was pretty outstanding and developing well under Brian (Solomon),” Lawrence said.

The team had success, and so did LaBeau. The 6-1 middle blocker had 387 kills and 124 blocks last season, both of which ranked fourth in the Frontier Conference. She was efficient offensively, hitting .342 on the season to rank second in her conference.

“I think you watch her and the first thing that stands out, which matches with a lot of our team right now, is that she has a heavy arm,” Lawrence said. “She’s laterally fast, she jumps well, she does all the middle things and has the quickness and smarts to be an effective middle, but she also just hits hard.”

The Grizzlies were a perfect fit for Labeau. After graduating from Montana Tech, she was looking at graduate schools and found what she needed at the University of Montana. She will continue her athletic and academic career in Missoula.

The opportunity to jump up to the D-I level from her NAIA days is an exciting one for LaBeau. She admits there may be a learning curve, but the veteran has proven herself as a two-time All-Conference player at Tech and is looking forward to this next challenge.

“I think it will be a learning curve at first,” LaBeau said. “I think it will be a lot faster from a defensive standpoint, faster blocking and eye movement, but I think it will be a nice opportunity to see what I can do at that level.”

Coach Lawrence said that LaBeau has a heavy arm. The offensive numbers that she put up at Tech agree with that statement. LaBeau hit over .300 in all three seasons where she played a major role with the Orediggers.

She’s looking to bring that heavy arm, and a veteran presence, to Montana.

“My coach at Tech and I had a funny saying he would just say, ‘Get out there and hit ball hard.’ I would just say OK, that’s what I will do coach,” LaBeau said. “I think I can really help the team offensively and hopefully also with my block moves and stuff being an experienced senior.”

LaBeau will have one final season to play at Montana.

“I’m so excited. I never thought that I would get an opportunity like this to continue playing in my fifth year,” LaBeau said. “It’s just awesome, I love the sport so much and having an opportunity to play with UM, I’m just so excited. I’m excited to hopefully add to the team and culture that they’ve created.”

Carley Spachman will also be concluding her volleyball career with one final year at Montana. The 6-2 middle blocker, originally from Leawood, Kansas, spent the previous three years at East Texas A&M. She started her collegiate career at Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, Kansas.

Spachman had the best season of her career in 2024, recording 147 total kills on .276 hitting. Spachman also had 94.0 total blocks, averaging 0.87 per set.

After entering the portal, Spachman received an email from the Grizzly coaching staff. She had never been to the state of Montana. It didn’t take long on her visit to get the feeling that she belonged in Missoula.

“I’m so excited. Ever since I have been in the transfer process and they emailed me, I was just super excited to go on a visit because I had never been to Montana,” Spachman said. “The minute I got to campus and met the girls and the coaches, I felt like it was just a great fit and a blessing.”

The fit was mutually beneficial as Montana had a need for a middle blocker with match experience. Spachman certainly fit the bill for Coach Lawrence as she looked to the portal to shore up the front line.

Lawrence said that she wanted to add a veteran presence with composure and great volleyball IQ to the program, and found that in Spachman.

“I think from the first interaction it was very clear that Carley wants to be at a place where she can contribute and give our program all of the experiences that led and built her into the player that she is now,” Lawrence said. “She’s also hungry to learn from the culture that she’s stepping in to as well.”

It was the culture at Montana that Lawrence and her staff have built over the previous eight seasons that attracted Spachman to the program. She came prepared on her visit, going the extra mile to ask specific questions to her future teammates and the staff.

The answers that they gave showed a program that is much closer to a family than a volleyball team.

“The culture within the girls and the coaches stood out. I had multiple questions for all of them about that because it is something I was looking for in my next school,” Spachman said. “The girls talked so highly of the coaches and their teammates and how connected they are and how they support each other.”

Spachman started all 29 matches last season for the Lions, and was fifth on the team with 1.36 kills per set. She had the second-best hitting percentage on the team at .276 and also anchored their defense, leading the team with 94 blocks, 36 more than any other Lion.

When Lawrence watched her film, she saw a player that reflected the stats, but there was also a lot that didn’t appear in any box scores.

“She is fast laterally, she has a fast arm, and you watch her in any game in any of her seasons and she’s working so hard off the ball,” Lawrence said. “I think she has all of the attributes that you look for in an experienced middle but also a middle that is really pushing to get better.”

Spachman said that she is excited to get to Missoula to start building a connection with the other student-athletes and the coaching staff.

“I’m super excited to bring the aspect of leadership just by coming in as a fifth-year and already playing four years of collegiate volleyball,” Spachman said. “I’m also just a very consistent player. I’m very calm, but also very passionate about the game and I just love playing volleyball.”

COACH LAWRENCE ON OLIVIA LABEAU

“She has a really mature presence about her. You talk to her and she’s calm and thoughtful, and she just has a presence that, to me, lets you know that she is a leader on the court and in her life. I think our team has experienced that in how they gravitated towards her on her visit and things like that. She just made relationships with the group quickly and I think built trust in the way that she does very quickly. It feels like an easy, natural fit.”

COACH LAWRENCE ON CARLEY SPACHMAN

“She brings the right combination of leadership, humility, curiosity, and a desire to grow. I think that made us feel really comfortable with her right away in knowing that the transfer was going to be a healthy thing both for her and for our program.”

Founder and Coach of Wirral Volleyball Club, he played an active part in developing junior players right up until his sad passing. 

In national Junior Grand Prix competitions, Wirral finished the 2024-25 season in sixth in the Gold Cup (U15 girls), won the Silver Cup (U16 girls) and were seventh in the Silver Cup (U18 girls).  

Alongside his coaching, Alan also found time to serve as secretary of the Merseyside Volleyball League for more than 45 years and was widely respected across volleyball’s communities, not just locally, but nationally as well. 

He was also actively involved in the North West Regional squads. 

My dad was always passionate about volleyball and its youth development for as long as I can remember,” said Alan’s daughter, Sarah. 

“He made many friends among the way, one of his best being Brian Kendall, who sadly passed a few years ago. 

“Dad would always tell me the progress of the Wirral teams and tournaments he was running when we spoke, and he was really pleased and proud of how the teams progressed this year.” 

Tributes to Alan have poured in on the Volleyball England Facebook page since the news of Alan’s passing was announced, commending his dedication to the sport and his knowledge of it. 

“(Alan was) an absolute leading light in coaching over a lifetime. Especially the coaching of children,” said Tim Clifford, of Bedminster Volleyball Club. “His knowledge and expertise is a huge loss to our sport. 

“The last spoke to Alan at the end of October for over an hour, not about the on-court coaching but about the safeguarding around travel with juniors and the detail of structuring junior competition to correctly facilitate development. He was very much a like-minded thinker! 

“Thank you for all the advice Alan, Rest in Peace.” 

Bryan Youlden said: “Very sad indeed….a man who made a substantial contribution and who challenged a number of aspects of the sport from a considered and well-argued perspectives.” 

Madn Canham added: “Alan introduced volleyball into many schools on the Wirral and helped gain funding to source equipment. He has organised numerous events, Pontins, beach volleyball and regular school tournaments.  

“Both my children have learnt to play through his coaching. I am so grateful for all the opportunities he has provided and very sad to hear this news.” 

Keith Nicholls said: “Alan was the epitome of the founders of grassroots volleyball. Totally committed, unwavering in his determination to encourage and assist young people in finding a healthy and compelling community playing our sport. 

“There are many who have been touched and guided by his involvement in their life and will remember him fondly.” 

And Anna Holsgrove-Smith simply said: “Alan was one of the best and nicest coaches I have ever had. I will miss him greatly.” 

SMU volleyball hosted Arkansas State, TCU, Oklahoma and Texas A&M for their spring Dallas Power Invite on April 26.
The invite is hosted annually on the same weekend as one of the country’s largest club-level volleyball tournaments: the Adidas Lone Star Classic. The Lone Star Classic hosts over 2,500 volleyball teams from around the country for athletes in both elementary, middle and high school.
SMU head volleyball coach Sam Erger said that they align the invite with the Lone Star Classic because it gives SMU an opportunity to display their talent before some of the best high school players in the country.
“A lot of those kids [competing at the Lone Star Classic] are kids from out-of-state that we’re recruiting that wouldn’t normally have a chance to come see our campus or see our team,” Erger said. “It became a win-win for the other teams, because it’s the same thing for A&M and Oklahoma. It’s a chance for their recruits to see them [play].” Not only is the invite a great recruiting tactic, but also a sponsorship opportunity for brands that want to break into the volleyball market. Kendra Scott, an Austin-based jewelry company sponsored this year’s invite. The athletes received gift boxes with Kendra Scott jewelry for competing.
The day consisted of five games between the various teams, with SMU and Arkansas State starting gameplay at 10 a.m.
The Mustangs won all three sets, playing their signature aggressive and scrappy volleyball.
“We had a really good turnout for the 10 a.m. game. [Moody Coliseum] was full, it was rockin’,” Erger said.
The second game between Arkansas State and TCU came a bit closer. After losing the first set, the Arkansas State huddle tried to regroup.
“We need to remember it’s the spring. Yeah, we wanna win, but we also need to have fun,” Arkansas State defensive specialist Libby Gee-Weiler said.
For being the only team not in a power conference (ACC, SEC, Big 10, Big 12), the Arkansas State red wolves held their own, only losing their sets to the Big 12 ‘s Horned Frogs by less than six points per set.
The third game was a win for A&M in four sets over Oklahoma. The fourth game was a four-setter between TCU and Oklahoma, with the Horned Frogs pulling out the win.
The fifth and final game between Texas A&M and SMU resulted in a sweep by the Aggies, three sets to none.
The teams selected for the invite have established themselves as volleyball programs with a large following and reputation for intense gameplay to draw a crowd and highlight college volleyball culture.

High school volleyball players discuss the volleyball schedule for the 2025 season in Moody Coliseum.

Erger has big goals for the invite. Not only is it a good way for recruits to experience a team’s culture, but it’s an opportunity to provide entertainment to the Dallas and wider Texas community. The crowd at the 10 a.m. and 30pm games featured elementary through high school volleyball teams there to have fun and watch high-level volleyball.
“I want every little girl in Dallas to grow up rooting for us,” Erger said. “We want to win Dallas.”
Sisters Madilyn and Kaydin Farrell and their friend Shelby Folmar drove nearly two hours from East Texas for the invite.
“We’re gonna be here all afternoon,” Folmar said. “[We’re most excited about] the A&M and SMU game. That’s top [priority].”
All three play on their local high school team and wore A&M Aggie shirts.
“We just love college volleyball,” Kaydin Farrell said.
Kaydin, the older of the two sisters, has two years left of high school and has already started considering where she wants to play in college. Texas A&M is her top choice.
Because the school volleyball season is in the fall, the Dallas Power Invite gives opportunities to athletes like Farrell to watch live gameplay of schools she’s interested in without missing her own season.
“I think it’s really awesome that the community can come out and interact with our team. To me, it’s such a cool thing,” Erger said. “I hope it grows every year.”

By mid-April, four games into the region portion of the season, the Murray boys volleyball team was leading the way with an undefeated mark in league play. 

The Spartans’ good play shouldn’t be a surprise, as the team was second in Region 10 a year ago with a 9-3 record in the first year of boys volleyball being a sanctioned sport. As of April 12, Murray had an overall mark of 7-4. 

Though the Spartans’ success in starting off Region 10 action with a 4-0 record was a true team effort, setter Daniel Haskell stood taller. The junior made progress from last season and has emerged as a leader for Murray. 

“[Haskell] is a rare combination of fierce competitor and humble leader,” head coach Allan Mount said. “He’s exactly the type of setter any coach does to have running their offense. In addition to the assists he nets for the team, he is also our most consistent server and second on the team in digs—and all as a first-year junior setter. We’re lucky to have him.”

Haskell joined the boys volleyball team almost by accident. 

During his freshman year in school, Haskell wanted to try out for the basketball team. He had played the sport for years and wanted to be a part of the Spartan program. However, an injury prevented him from trying out. Once the winter sports season ended and the spring season arrived, Haskell’s injury had healed, so he decided to give volleyball a try. A close friend of his already played volleyball, so it made sense to join the team. 

Mount is happy he did, and Haskell has grown to love the game. 

“I love competing because of the feeling you get during a competitive point or long rally,” he said. “I love the satisfaction of competing at a high level with intensity; even when it’s not a winning outcome, it is still so fun.”

The sport is enjoyable for Haskell, and he looks forward to competing every time he steps onto the court. But what truly means the most to him is being a part of a tight-knit Spartans team. He appreciates the leadership on the team and the examples the older players have set.

“My favorite part about our program at Murray is how close all of the guys are,” he said. “Lots of the seniors this year are the friends that built the program when it was still a club, and it really feels like a family, on and off the court.”

The position of setter is a critical one in volleyball. If Haskell doesn’t do his job effectively, his teammates can’t do theirs. Haskell prides himself in knowing his role and in being able to outsmart the opposition. 

“As a setter I always try to work on being deceptive and hiding my set for as long as possible,” he said.

But Haskell isn’t complacent. He wants to get better and help his team capture a region title and be a factor in the Class 4A state tournament. 

“Individually, I want to be able to have a bigger presence as a setter in the front row, especially in terms of blocking,” he said. “As a team, our goal for this year had been to achieve first in region and go further in the state tournament than last year.”

The season started off slowly for Murray, as the Spartans dropped their first two matches and were 1-3 after four outings. Heading into region play, Murray was 3-4. However, Murray started off the Region 10 slate in dominant fashion. Murray defeated Hillcrest, Park City and Cottonwood, each in straight sets, 3-0. On March 27, Murray took care of Stansbury 3-1. 

Early on, the Spartans fell behind in some matches and got frustrated. Shaking off those struggles hasn’t been easy, but Haskell said he and his teammates have learned from these setbacks and are eager to continue improving as the season winds down. 

“For me and our team this year, one of the most challenging aspects has been pulling ourselves out of holes when we get down,” he said. “We learned how to do this in the preseason with some tough losses. That significantly benefited our ability to do this in region play.”

The Spartans wrap up the regular season April 29 with a road match at Park City. The 4A state tournament will be May 7 and 8 at Utah Valley University. Last season, Murray was seeded 10th and won a first-round match over Mountain Crest before falling in the second round to Sky View. Murray then defeated Desert Hills in the consolation bracket before ending the season with a loss to Provo. 

Haskell’s plans after high school include learning a trade, possibly serving a church mission and continuing his volleyball career—albeit a bit differently. 

“After high school, I want to look into trade school doing electrical work,” he said. “I am also thinking about serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As far as volleyball, I really enjoy beach volleyball and want to focus more on that after high school.” λ

GULF SHORES, Ala. – No. 2 seeded TCU will begin play at the NCAA Beach Volleyball Championship against No. 15 seed Georgia State at noon CT Friday on ESPN2 at Gulf Place in Alabama.  

The Horned Frogs, which are ranked No. 1 in the AVCA national poll, are seeded second, marking the third time in program history TCU has held that spot out of five visits to the national championship.  

This week is the third time that TCU has held the No. 1 ranking this season. The Frogs have remained among the AVCA top two since March 25. Their first appearance at the No. 1 spot was after downing then-No. 1 UCLA 3-0 in Baton Rouge, La. on March 29.  

The Sandy Frogs notched 14 postseason awards, headlined by Daniela Alvarez’s AVCA Collegiate Beach Player of the Year recognition. Alvarez also received All-American First Team honors, followed by Tania Moreno and Hailey Hamlett who received recognition to the Second Team.  

In the Big 12’s first year of sponsoring the sport, Head Coach Hector Gutierrez received Big 12 Coach of the Year honors, Anhelina Khmil and Ana Vergara received Big 12 Pair of the Year honors and Sofia Izuzquiza was named Big 12 Freshman of the Year. Izuzquiza’s award marked the fourth consecutive year for TCU to notch the freshman of the year accolade in their respective conference.   

Six Horned Frogs were selected for Big 12 All-Conference team: Alvarez, Hamlett, Maria Gonzalez, Khmil, Moreno and Vergara,  

The Frogs improved their record to 28-5, following the Big 12 Championship. TCU is 14-5 against teams in this weekend’s NCAA Championship.  

TCU is looking for its first appearance in the finals of the NCAA Championship. The last time the Horned Frogs made it to the Final Four was in 2023. TCU holds a record of 3-6 all-time in Gulf Shores.  

Follow Along  

Live stats are available for the weekend and can be found with the bracket here. Fans can also stay up to date with scores by visiting @tcubeachvb on X.  

All matches except the championship will be on ESPN2, the final match will be on ESPN.   

The times listed below are all in Central Standard Time.   

Friday 

Noon – Georgia State (live stats) on ESPN2 

Saturday 

11 a.m. – TBD on ESPN2 

2:30 p.m. – TBD on ESPN2 

Sunday 

10:30 a.m. – TBD on ESPN 

Scouting the Opposition  

No. 15 seeded Georgia State heads into this weekend with a record of 22-16 and its third straight Sun Belt Conference title. The trip to Gulf Shores is the sixth appearance in the NCAA Championship for the Panthers. 

TCU leads in the all-time series, 8-4. The last time the Frogs saw the Panthers this season, TCU won 4-1 on March 16.