The only thing worse than losing might be finishing second.

But with last season’s national championship loss in the rearview mirror, all sights are now set on the 2026 campaign.

No. 1 UCLA men’s volleyball (2-0, 1-0 MPSF) welcomed its new season with two straight sweeps against No. 15 McKendree (0-2) and Concordia (0-2, 0-1) on Friday and Sunday, respectively, at Pauley Pavilion.

Although several key members of last season’s championship run have departed, including 2025 MPSF Player of the Year Cooper Robinson, the Bruins are confident in their ability to replicate previous successes.

“The locker room’s fun,” said sophomore outside hitter Sean Kelly. “I think we have great team chemistry this year, and we’re really getting better every day.”

Kelly tallied 142 total kills on a .323 clip while making 14 starts during the 2025 season to earn a spot on the MPSF All-Freshman Team. He opened 2026 with eight kills against McKendree on a .571 success rate. His four kills in the first set against Concordia helped propel the team to a 25-13 set victory – the fewest points allowed by UCLA in a non-deciding set since January 2025.

Alongside Kelly in the offensive are seniors outside hitter Zach Rama and setter Andrew Rowan. Over the opening two victories, Rama led the team with 27 total kills on a .420 hitting percentage, while Rowan added an efficient 12.67 assists per set.

With both entering their final year as Bruins, they understand the increased leadership role they will play throughout the season.

“We got a lot of new pieces in the starting lineup, so early on in the year, we’re trying to find our groove and find our rhythm,” Rowan said. “It’s definitely so familiar being a senior here … but every season is different. To the younger guys, we’re just trying to teach them the work ethic that we try to build here.”

Junior middle blocker Micah Wong Diallo has already seen an elevated role from last season, where he only started in two matches. The Los Angeles local started both matches to open up the season, tallying 14 kills on a .824 hitting percentage and adding three blocks.

Coach John Hawks – now in his second season as UCLA’s head honcho – spoke about his high hopes for Diallo moving forward in the year.

“Micah’s got a bright future,” Hawks said. “Last year, we probably would have played him more. I think there were just some injuries that he dealt with that he had to work through. I expect big things from Micah.”

Hawks has been experimenting with a rotation of Diallo and senior middle blocker Cameron Thorne to open up the season, and he is pleased with the results so far. Thorne recorded five blocks in each match, accompanied by 13 total kills on a .688 clip.

“I thought our middles were perfect,” Hawks said. “We just need to get those guys more attempts and figure out how to open them up a little bit.”

The victories did not come without mistakes. The Bruins committed 18 service errors against McKendree and 11 against Concordia. Hawks said he wanted to clean up ball control and tighten up blocking rotations.

And for a team that came so close to a national championship just eight months ago, correcting those mistakes could help ensure a different ending to this season.

UCLA will now look ahead to next weekend, when they will match up against Ball State and Loyola Chicago as part of the First Point Collegiate Challenge.

“I’m excited,” said Hawks, who served as head coach of Loyola Chicago from 2022-24. “I’m excited where we are right now, and I’m looking forward to some team bonding.”

The Buffaloes earned runner-up finishes in both the men’s and women’s races, highlighted by Louison Accambray’s career-best second-place finish on the women’s side and a 2–3 showing from freshmen Stanley Buzek and Feb Allasina in the men’s race. Through two of eight alpine races this week, Colorado sits second in the team standings.

Accambray led the CU women, while Alexa Brownlie finished seventh, Hannah Soria placed 14th and Cathinka Lunder finished 16th. Paige DeHart did not finish her first run.

On the men’s side, Colorado faced adversity early, as Justin Bigatel and Christoffer Oestroem did not finish the first run, while Filip Wahlqvist crashed just five gates from the finish on the second run after holding a sizeable lead following the opening run. Despite the setbacks, Buzek and Allasina delivered podium performances to keep the Buffs firmly in contention.  It was the first time two alpine newcomers were on the podium in their first college race since 2007 when Drew Roberts and Stefan Hughes went 1-2 in a slalom race at Utah.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The CU women were first on the course and posted a solid opening run before surging in the second run. Accambray climbed from sixth after the first run to finish second overall, while Brownlie jumped from 16th to seventh and Soria made a significant move from 23rd to 14th. Lunder remained steady throughout the race, sitting 14th after the first run and finishing 16th. Collectively, the three skiers gained 22 positions between runs, with Soria posting the fourth-fastest second run and Brownlie recording the fifth-fastest.

In the men’s race, early first-run exits by Bigatel and Oestroem placed increased pressure on the remaining Buffs, and both Buzek and Allasina responded. Allasina surged from a starting position of 35 to 15th after the first run, then vaulted into third place with one of the fastest second runs in the field. Buzek, who started 16th, was third after the first run and moved up one position to finish second. Buzek recorded the second-fastest second run, while Allasina posted the third-fastest.

UP NEXT

Colorado remains at Loveland Ski Area on Tuesday for another set of slalom races as part of the Spencer James Nelson Memorial Colorado Invitational before heading to Aspen for giant slalom races Wednesday and Thursday.

WHAT IT MEANS

The somewhat short-handed alpine teams had a solid season opening performance, with some highs (two freshmen on the podium, career-best finish for Accambray) and lows (Filip Wahlqvist crashing five gates from the finish, three DNFs on the men’s side), which is the nature of the business for all skiers, especially alpine skiers.  But CU did place four women in the top 16 and despite only scoring two men, still are just eight points out of the lead.  A solid start to the alpine season.

 

TEAM NOTES

SKIER NOTES

• Louison Accambray finished second for her career-best slalom result and sixth podium finish overall, including her second slalom podium, in 15 career races.
• Alexa Brownlie / Hannah Soria both made strong collegiate debuts for Colorado, with Brownlie placing seventh in her first college race and Soria finishing 14th. For Soria, the result marked her 10th career top-20 finish in her 19th collegiate slalom race.
• Cathinka Lunder placed 16th, recording her fourth career top-20 finish and second in slalom. It marked her second-best slalom finish, trailing only a 12th-place result at Loveland in a qualifier race last season.
• Stanley Buzek / Feb Allasina both reached the podium in their first collegiate race, with Buzek finishing second and Allasina third. It marked the first time two alpine newcomers finished on the podium in the season-opening race since Drew Roberts and Stefan Hughes went 1–2 in the Utah slalom opener in 2007.

TEAM SCORES (DAY 1): 1. Denver, 163; 2. Colorado, 155; 3. Utah, 127.5; 4. Alaska Anchorage, 125; 5. Montana State, 110; 6. Colorado Mountain, 104; 7. Nevada, 92.5; 8. Westminster, 30.

WOMEN’S SLALOM: 1. Sara Rask, Denver, 1:29.20; 2. Louison Accambray, Colorado, 1:29.66; 3. Elisabeth Creighton, Denver, 1:30.05; 3. Mia Hunt, Denver, 1:30.05; 5. Ella Bromee, Alaska Anchorage, 1:30.11; 6. Stella Buchheister, Denver, 1:30.18; 7. Alexa Brownlie, Colorado, 1:30.20; 8. Carmen Nielsen, Alaska Anchorage, 1:30.22; 9. Nicola Rountree-Williams, Denver, 1:30.36; 10. Tea Kiesel, Montana State, 1:30.45.

Other CU Finishers: 14. Hannah Soria, 1:31.19; 16. Cathinka Lunder, 1:31.40; Paige DeHart, DNF (Run 1).

MEN’S SLALOM: 1. Johs Herland, Utah, 1:29.59; 2. Stanley Buzek, Colorado, 1:30.29; 3. Feb Allasina, Colorado, 1:31.00; 4. Lucas Ellis, Colorado Mountain, 1:31.05; 5. Pierick Charest, Utah, 1:31.34; 6. Harry Hoffman, Utah, 1:31.38; 7. Sindre Myklebust, Utah, 1:31.64; 8. Adrian Hunshammer, Denver, 1:31.78; 9. Bosse Mikelsson, Montana State, 1:31.79; 10. Giorgio Baldo, Alaska Anchorage, 1:32.02.

Other CU Finishers: Filip Wahlqvist, DNF (Run 2); Justin Bigatel, DNF (Run 1); Christoffer Oestroem, DNF (Run 1).

A brand-new track and field facility will open in Athens on Feb. 18, aiming to serve both the University of Georgia campus and the local community, according to its athletic department.

Located on South Milledge Avenue, the complex will feature a 400-meter, nine-lane Spec Towns Track with an infield long jump, a triple jump and a pole vault facility. The venue will have a capacity of 2,500 that can accommodate up to 4,000 for select events with a grandstand, a press box, an observation deck, restrooms and concession stands.

The new venue replaces the old one on South Lumpkin Street, which had not hosted an event for the Georgia men’s or women’s track and field team since April 2023. Now, the Bulldogs are slated to host the Spec Towns Invitational at the new complex this April, the Torrin Lawrence Memorial in May and the SEC championships in 2027. 

High school competitions will also be held at the new facility with the Classic City Track and Field Invitational scheduled for March, making it the first competition on the venue’s calendar, and the GHSA state track meet in May. 

The project, which cost $59.8 million, was funded exclusively by donations and gifts, and will become one of the “premier track and field destinations in the country,” according to the university’s director of athletics Josh Brooks.

“We are excited about the opportunities this facility will create for our athletes, our campus and our community,” Brooks said. “While it will support our student-athletes at the highest level, it will also create opportunities that will bring athletes of all ages to our campus throughout the year.”

The new complex will have a strong emphasis on strengthening ties between the university and local community, as public usage hours will give residents a new place to run and exercise, while big events can boost the local economy through hotel stays and visits to local businesses and restaurants. 

“The Classic City Track and Field Invitational in March will mark the first competition in the new facility, bringing a regional high school meet to campus and expanding access to elite facilities for local student-athletes,” Alison McCullick, the university’s director of community relations, said. “In addition to competitions, the space will remain open for walking, running and everyday recreation, making it a year-round asset for the university and Athens.”

LONG BEACH, Calif. — In their collegiate debuts, Jackson Cryst and Jake Pazanti made immediate impacts for Long Beach State men’s volleyball, earning Big West Player of the Week honors following a dominant opening weekend. The Beach opened the 2026 season with two straight-set victories, defeating Lindenwood and McKendree at the Pyramid, as Cryst was named Men’s Volleyball Defensive Player of the Week and Pazanti earned Long Beach State Freshman of the Week recognition.

Cryst anchored the Long Beach State defense in his first collegiate action, averaging 1.50 blocks per set and totaling nine blocks over the weekend. His presence at the net helped limit opponents to a combined .157 hitting percentage and contributed to the Beach averaging 3.33 blocks per set across the two matches. Cryst also added seven kills on .462 hitting, showing efficiency and composure on both sides of the net.

Pazanti also impressed in his collegiate debut, directing the Long Beach State offense with poise and balance. The freshman setter recorded 58 assists (9.67 per set) while guiding the Beach to a .351 team hitting percentage in the opening weekend.

In addition to his setting responsibilities, Pazanti contributed six kills on .750 hitting, 16 digs, five blocks, and two service aces, impacting the match in every phase during his first career starts.

Long Beach State men’s volleyball returns to action this week with a three-game road stretch through the Buckeye State to face Central State, George Mason and Ohio State as the Beach continue early-season competition following a successful opening weekend.

WESTON, Mass. — Hannah Griffin, Zoe Kirk, and Justin Thuotte each represented the Pride this week in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) weekly awards. Kirk earned her second Rookie of the Week honor of the season, while Griffin collected her first career Track Athlete of the Week award. Thuotte was named Field Athlete of the Week, marking his first honor of the season and the fifth weekly award of his career.

Zoe Kirk continued her strong rookie campaign with a pair of top-10 finishes. She placed third overall in the high jump with a mark of 1.50 meters, setting a new indoor program record and surpassing the previous mark of 1.46 held by teammate Grace Micklon. Kirk also finished ninth in the 60-meter hurdles, clocking a time of 9.93.

Hannah Griffin captured the top spot in the 800 meters with a time of 2:44.36, edging her nearest competitor by nearly one second.

Justin Thuotte delivered another standout performance at the Wesleyan Winter Invitational, winning the long jump with a mark of 6.70 meters to set a new indoor program record, besting his own previous mark of 6.65 from the last meet. He also placed third in the triple jump at 12.99 meters and rounded out his day with a 10th-place finish in the weight throw, posting a personal-best mark of 13.59 meters.

Regis track and field stays close to home this weekend, traveling to Brighton, Massachusetts, to compete at the Suffolk Ice Breaker at The Track at New Balance.