PROVO, Utah — BYU director of athletics Brian Santiago officially introduced Rob Neilson as the seventh head coach in BYU women’s volleyball program history on Thursday morning.

BYU director of athletics Brian Santiago’s opening statement
“On behalf of BYU Athletics, this is an exciting day for the future of BYU women’s volleyball, and it’s my privilege to introduce to you Rob Neilson as our new head women’s volleyball coach. We were just talking a minute ago about the fact that he’s home. He talked about being at the basketball game last night, and said, ‘man, it’s amazing how many people that I know’. And I said, ‘because you’re home, this is you, this is your place. Your blood, sweat and tears are right here on this floor, and you helped us hang one of those banners up there as a national champion.’ We’re super grateful to welcome you back to BYU, Rob, especially with Sarah, your sweet wife, and your children. You’re part of our family and our BYU family, and we couldn’t be more excited.”

“We’re also super excited for you to lead these incredible young women that are over here on the side. These are some of the most remarkable student athletes anywhere in the country, and we’re super grateful that the program is in such a strong position as we segue into the future of BYU women’s volleyball. We’re grateful to have your parents here. Thank you, it’s a pleasure to have you be here, and you’re part of our family as well.”

“I just want you to turn around for a second, Rob. You’re going to see it in just a second. You’ve got coaches and support staff across this way that are super excited to welcome you into the family. The future of BYU volleyball is strong. We have a top-15 program. In a lot of situations when there’s transition, you’re building and you’ve got to start from scratch, but we’re super fortunate that our volleyball program is in such a strong position, and we’re super grateful for the leadership that the volleyball program has had in the last 10 years, the fact that we have such a strong program that’s nationally relevant as we continue to chase greatness and do it the BYU way. We’re grateful that we get to do it from a position of strength, and it starts every day with these incredible young women. So on behalf of all of us at BYU, let’s welcome our new head women’s volleyball coach, Rob Nielsen.”

BYU women’s volleyball head coach Rob Neilson’s opening statement
“It is good to be home. It is the honor of a lifetime to get to coach at this university that I love so much, on this court, in this venue that is the best volleyball venue in the entire country. I love BYU, and I love BYU volleyball. Thank you to the Board of Trustees, President Shane Reese, Vice President Vorkink, Brian Santiago and Chad Lewis, for your trust and for the opportunity. This is amazing, and I go way back. I’ve known Brian for 25 years. President Reese used to come into our practices when he was a statistics professor and run regressions and analyzes on how we could play the game better 25 years ago. We’d play a volleyball match, and Chad Lewis, this Super Bowl champion and Pro Bowl tight end, would come up to me outside the Student Athlete Building and say ‘Rob, you just played the most amazing match.’ And I think, first of all, how are you watching our matches? And secondly, how do you know who I am and remember my name, and it’s just an incredible group of leadership. I’m so honored to be led by you and supported by you, and I can’t wait to begin.”

“BYU volleyball has an incredible legacy from from Carl (McGown) to Tom (Peterson), to Chris McGown, to Shawn (Olmstead), now on the men’s side, and then, of course, the women’s side, from Elaine (Michaelis), to Jason (Watson), to Shawn (Olmstead) on the women’s side, and to Heather (Olmstead). There is an incredible legacy here to build on, and I’m so excited to be able to push it forward. What an honor to be able to build on what amazing athletes and coaches have built here. Some of the greatest coaches in the nation have come from BYU volleyball. I just want to say thank you to the mentors of mine in the game, obviously, Carl and Chris McGown, John Speraw, Mike Wilton and Hugh McCutcheon. I’ve been honored to be around some of the greatest coaches in volleyball history, and they’ve taught me what championship culture and process looks like. I hope some of that is rubbed off, and I’m excited to share it with our our team.”

“Every BYU coach that’s here and that’s not here. I’m amazed to watch the phenomenal things that are happening around this athletic department. We’re winning in every sport at a high level, and doing it with amazing people that have and share amazing values. I can’t wait to learn from you and be with you and cheer you guys on as you go and do amazing things. Thank you to the amazing staff members. I keep telling people, I’ve met 40 people in the last two days that have an influence over our program and first off, it’s amazing that we have so much support. I’m amazed at the support that we have here at BYU. But of those 40 people I know, 30 of them from 10 years ago that are still around, and it’s just been an amazingly beautiful reunion. It just it feels like home everywhere that I turn.”

“It’s not lost on me that I get to live my dream because of the blood, sweat and tears of our athletes and staff at Utah State, and because of the support of the administration and the community that was so amazing. I love the spot where the sagebrush grows. I’m going to miss it. Sarah and I poured our hearts into that community, and the abundance of love that we got in return is something that we will never forget. I’ve had multiple opportunities to leave there for some big time opportunities, and every time I stayed, more and more I realized that it would take somewhere truly special to tear me away from that spot and this is that place. It’s our promise, Sarah, and mine, that we will pour our hearts into this town, this community, this department, to this fan base and and to these athletes. Loving these women and mentoring them to be the best that they can possibly be, to fulfill their divine potential, their limitless potential, is our directive, and it’s our aim.

“To my incredible wife, I love you, Sarah, to our children, Etta, Liam, Charlotte, Whit and Lois, thank you for your support and your sacrifices that allow me to go chase my dreams. You’re absolutely the best part of who I am.”

“I’m excited for the incredible staff that I get to work with. Thrilled to announce that we just hired Chloe Hirst, who was our associate head coach at Utah State, and so excited to work with her. She is all time good. Together we’ll recruit the best Latter-day Saint players, the best non-Latter-day Saint players, the best international players, playing in front of the ROC, in the best venue in the country, is where many of the best athletes in the country will want to be. We’re going to bring the best teams to play against us in Provo in big time non-conference matches. We’re going to compete with and we’re going to beat the best to become the best versions of ourselves.”

“Finally, to this amazing team of women, thank you for your trust. Thank you for who you are. It’s been amazing to just chat with you the last few weeks. I can’t tell you every conversation that I’ve had has been finished with them asking ‘what help do you need, what can we do for you guys?’ It’s rare, and it’s amazing, and it’s powerful. I’m excited to compete with you, to work with you, to fail with you, to succeed with you, and to grow with you. These will be some of the greatest years of of your life. It’s not going to be easy. It will ask everything of you, but your experiences will influence and inform the rest of your lives for the better. I was lucky to be part of that last 2004 national championship team, and when we get together, we don’t talk about the games, we don’t talk about the wins, we talk about the process, the practices, the trash that we talked to each other, the relationships that we had and the effort that we went through that allowed us to go and do great things. I can’t wait to embark on that process with you guys. It’s going to take your blood, your sweat and your tears, but championship moments await those of us who will dare greatly. So let’s go do great things. Go Cougars.”

Two Southern California natives announced Thursday they are teaming up to chase gold in beach volleyball during the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.  World champion and two-time Olympian Kelly Cheng and former USC teammate Megan Kraft have set their sights on qualifying for the 2028 Olympics.

“Everything has been like a whirlwind, but in the best way,” Kraft said. “I’m just really excited for it to keep going.”

The new partners were All-Americans and won multiple NCAA national titles while they competed for the Trojans.

The two share a love for their alma mater and have faith in one another.

“Beach volleyball is like (a) marriage between partners,” Cheng said. “I feel like Meg has had to make a lot of very big decisions. She’s 23, and I’ve just been absolutely impressed (by) how she’s handled every step of the way.”

Cheng, from Fullerton, and Kraft, from San Diego, want to compete in front of a home crowd and play on a global stage.

“I think you’ll see it on the court, the joy of the way we play and pursuing this, not just for ourselves individually, but for each other and for our team and for the United States,” Cheng said. “I think it’s so much bigger than just the two of us.”

Beach volleyball will be played at Alamitos Beach Stadium in Long Beach during the 2028 Games.

24 women’s teams will qualify for beach volleyball. As a host nation, the U.S. is guaranteed one team, with the possibility of qualifying a second team.

TUCSON, Ariz. – The Arizona Beach Volleyball team has announced its 2026 schedule. Arizona’s will host three regular season home tournaments and the Big 12 Championship. 

The season opens at home with a Red vs. Blue scrimmage on Feb. 13 in Tucson, giving fans an early look at the Wildcats. Arizona then heads to Phoenix for the Lopes Invitational hosted by Grand Canyon on Feb. 20-21, where the Wildcats will face TCU, GCU, UC Davis, and Colorado Mesa.

The Wildcats return home to host the Cactus Classic on Feb. 27-28 at Bear Down Beach, welcoming UTEP, Arizona State, Oregon, and Georgia State. Arizona continues conference and non-conference play the following weekend at the Sun Devil Classic in Tempe March 6-7 against Southern Mississippi, Nebraska, Arizona State, and Arizona Christian.

Mid-March sends Arizona to California for the Mustang Roundup hosted by Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo March 13-14, with matches against Cal Poly, CSUN, Santa Clara, and UC Davis. The Wildcats then return to Tucson to host the Arizona Invitational March 20-21, facing Tarleton State, UTEP, Missouri State, and San Francisco.

Arizona will travel to Fort Worth, Texas for the Big 12 Preview hosted by TCU March 27-28, competing against a strong field that includes TCU, Arizona State, Boise State, South Carolina, and Florida State. The Wildcats are back home April 3-4 for the Wildcat Spring Challenge, hosting South Carolina, FGCU, Colorado Mesa, and Hawaii, with Saturday’s matches marking senior day.

The regular season wraps up on the road at the NOLA Classic hosted by Tulane April 17-18 in New Orleans, Louisiana, where Arizona will face Tulane, Louisiana Monroe, New Orleans, and Florida International. Postseason play begins in Tucson as Arizona hosts the Big 12 Championship April 23-24. The Wildcats will look to advance to the NCAA Beach Volleyball Championships, scheduled for May 1-3 in Gulf Shores, Alabama.

 

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. –  The UC Santa Barbara Men’s Volleyball team served off their 2026 campaign with a victory over Kentucky State, taking down the Thorobreds 3-0 on Thursday afternoon in their first match of the ASICS Invitational.

Redshirt freshman Raglan Kear took to the court for the first time in his collegiate career and crushed, leading the team with six kills and two block assists. Veteran Owen Loncar also launched six kills, and both hit .455. 

Ben Pearson followed up with four kills as well as three service aces, tying his career high in the stat. The team as a whole totaled 11 aces. Cole Schobel tossed 19 assists and led the team in digs with seven. 

Santa Barbara put up six block assists and George Bruening locked a solo block. Andreas Schuetz matched Kear’s two assists and had two aces of his own. 

HOW IT HAPPENED

After leading for the entirety of the set, the Gauchos emerged from the first 25-14. The Thorobreds stayed within reasonable distance through 10-6, but the Gauchos made headway and ended the set with an 11-point lead. 

Kentucky State also stayed tight through the second set’s first era, but by 17-10, Santa Barbara had made their move. The Thorobreds only scored three more points before the Gauchos claimed the set 25-13. 

The Gauchos secured their highest win margin in the third, clinching it 25-12. With a 17-11 lead, the Blue and Gold went on a seven-point run that forged their way to victory.

UP NEXT

The Gauchos continue their Robertson Gymnasium-based tournament, facing Maryville University on Friday, Jan. 9 at 4:30 and Harvard on Saturday, Jan 10 at 7:00 p.m.

Box Score

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Harvard Men’s Volleyball opened its 2025 season with a loss to UC Irvine on Thursday night at the ASICS Tournament, hosted by UC Santa Barbara.

The Crimson showed flashes of offensive efficiency throughout the match, highlighted by a strong second set in which Harvard finished with a .360 kill percentage. Sawyer Nichols led the team with six kills, while Quinn Bishop followed with five to pace the attack.

Zach Berty, Brian Thomas, and Owen Woolbert also contributed offensively, each recording multiple kills as Harvard spread production across the lineup. One of the Crimson’s key strengths on the night was its ability to navigate UC Irvine’s block, with swings frequently deflecting off the hands for out-of-bounds points and helping extend rallies.

The match also marked the first career appearances for Eric Su and Kai Gan, who both saw action in the season opener. Adrian Shevchuk delivered a strong performance at setter, effectively distributing the offense and keeping Harvard’s attack in rhythm throughout the match. Thomas Phung was a standout in the back row, making multiple vital saves to keep points alive and allow Harvard to stay competitive in extended rallies. 

Despite The Crimson’s best efforts, UC Irvine claimed the win in three sets.

Harvard Highlights

Harvard will look to carry forward its offensive efficiency and rally control as they face CSUN on Friday, January 9th at 5:00pm ET.

GOLETA, Calif. — Junior Jalen Phillips led all hitters with 15 kills and sophomore Hank Kaufman added a career-high 14 as CSUN opened the 2026 season with a four-set victory over Maryville (Mo.) at the Asics Invitational on Thursday night at UCSB’s Rob Gym.

The Matadors pulled away late to win 25-23, 25-20, 23-25, 25-21, hitting an efficient .318 (50-16-107) as a team. Sophomore Owen Douphner made his first career start at setter and posted 39 assists, three kills, four digs, one ace, and one block.

CSUN was out-aced (5-3) and out-blocked (6-5) by the Saints, but wound up posting 37 team digs to 34 for Maryville. The Matadors, who totaled 50 kills to the Saints’ 49, also forced Maryville into 22 hitting errors as the Saints hit .235 (49-22-115) as a team. 

Phillips, who finished with a match-high 18.0 points, hit .300 on 30 swings and was effective from the service line with one ace. Kaufman hit .429 on 28 swings to go with four digs and a pair of assists. Sophomore Joao Avila added nine kills (.250), and Shane Nhem chipped in seven kills on 14 errorless swings to hit .500.

CSUN controlled the first two sets behind a balanced offense and steady sideout play, then responded after Maryville extended the match with a strong third set. The Matadors hit .217 in the fourth set while limiting the Saints to a .000 clip in the fourth to seal the win.

Maryville was led by Aiden Whitemountain and Makai Scott, who each had 10 kills to lead the Saints.

CSUN improves to 1-0 on the season, while Maryville dropped its opener to fall to 0-1.

HEAD COACH THEO EDWARDS SAID

“It’s nice to get the first one out of the way. Maryville is a fantastic team; they did some really nice things and challenged us. Hank (Kaufman) was fantastic, hitting over .400 and Shane (Nhem) was really efficient and at times had some really nice blocks at the net. I felt that Jalen (Phillips) was good too, especially coming off an injury, he hit .300 and looked at times like himself, which was nice to see.”

UP NEXT

CSUN plays its second match of the 2026 Asics Invitational on Friday, taking on Harvard at 2 p.m. at Rob Gym on the UCSB campus.

#GoMatadors