ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The UNC Asheville track & field team will officially open its 2026 season by hosting the UNC Asheville Collegiate Opener at Tryon International this Saturday (Jan. 10). 

The Bulldogs are hosting the inaugural Collegiate Track and Field meet in Tryon Athletics state of the art Mondo Super X 720 Indoor Track. The facility will later host the Big South Indoor Championships Feb. 27-28. 

The meet will begin at 10 a.m. starting with the women’s pole vault and men’s and women’s 3k and will conclude with the 4x400m relays at 5:15 p.m. Results for all events tomorrow can be found here.

EARLY SEASON RESULTS

Seven members of the program opened their seasons at the Winston-Salem College Kick-Off on Dec. 6, with early-season excitement as two school record resets and three additional personal bests highlighted the event. Alison Graf set a new school record in the women’s mile with a time of 4:56.64, and Aneta Kucerová dropped the women’s 3,000m record to 9:54.49. 

To stay updated with all things surrounding Asheville track & field, follow the team on 𝕩.

USF opens its inaugural season Feb. 20 at Tulane;
Will host two home events on Clearwater Beach.

TAMPA, FLA., JAN. 9, 2026 – University of South Florida Beach Volleyball Head Coach Pri Piantadosi-Lima has announced the program’s competition schedule for its inaugural 2026 season, marking a historic milestone as the newest varsity sport within USF Athletics.

The Bulls, which open their debut campaign February 20–21 at Tulane and will face a challenging slate that features seven teams that were ranked in the final 2025 AVCA Collegiate Beach Volleyball Poll, including No. 8 Florida State (two meetings), No. 11 LSU, No. 15 FAU, No. 17 Georgia State, No. 18 FGCU and No. 20 Washington.

South Florida will host a pair of two-day tournaments on Clearwater Beach during its inaugural season. The Bulls will welcome teams for the Stampede Beach Opener March 27–28 and The Gulf Front Invitational April 17–18. Home events will feature five or six teams with several matches each day, highlighted by marquee matches generally in the 1:30-3:30 p.m. window each day.

Admission to all South Florida home beach volleyball events is free.

“This schedule represents years of building, planning, and believing in what USF Beach Volleyball will become,” Piantadosi-Lima said. “We are ready to compete and officially represent the University of South Florida on the sand. Our players have been building toward this moment, and beginning our first NCAA season is something we take great pride in.”

USF will compete in beach volleyball as a member of Conference USA. FAU is the defending conference champion after winning the 2025 CUSA Beach Volleyball Tournament. The 10-team league also includes FIU, Jacksonville State, Missouri State, Sam Houston, Tarleton State, Tulane, UAB and UTEP.

Following the season opener at Tulane, the Bulls travel to Florida State February 27–28 to face a Seminoles program that reached the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament last year.

South Florida returns to the Tampa Bay area March 6–7 for matches at the University of Tampa, marking the Bulls’ first local competition before their home debut later in the month.

The Bulls continue play at Coastal Carolina March 13–14 before hosting their first-ever home event, the Stampede Beach Opener, March 27–28 on the sands of Clearwater Beach. The two-day showcase will feature teams from Sacramento State, Sam Houston, Stephen F. Austin, UAB and UTEP and will introduce South Florida Beach Volleyball to the Tampa Bay community.

“Playing our first match at Tulane will be a moment this program remembers forever, but bringing this sport home to Clearwater Beach is something truly special,” Piantadosi-Lima said. “It’s one of the most beautiful beaches in the country, and also a well-known beach volleyball Mecca where Olympians have come to compete here. We can’t wait for our fans to experience our team up close for the first time.”

USF resumes competition at Georgia State April 3–4 before making the longest road trip of the season to Boise, Idaho, for matches at Boise State April 10–11. The Bulls will close the regular season at home, hosting The Gulf Front Invitational April 17–18 on Clearwater Beach. For that event, the Bulls will host teams from Florida State, FGCU, LSU and Mercer – FSU, FGCU and LSU all were ranked in the top 20 last year.

“We’re building a team, a culture, a standard, and a fan base,” Piantadosi-Lima said. “Every match we play, home or away, is a chance to establish who we are and who we want to become. We’re ready to begin this journey, and we can’t wait for Bulls Nation to join us.”

Postseason play begins with the Conference USA Championship, scheduled for April 23–25 at Sugar Beach in Youngsville, La. The NCAA Beach Volleyball Championship will be held May 1–3 at Gulf Place Beach in Gulf Shores, Ala.

2025 USF Beach Volleyball Inaugural Season Schedule

• February 20–21: at Tulane – New Orleans, La.
• February 27–28: at Florida State – Tallahassee, Fla.
• March 6–7: at University of Tampa – Tampa, Fla.
• March 13–14: at Coastal Carolina – Conway, S.C.
• March 27–28: Stampede Beach Opener – Clearwater Beach, Fla.
• April 3–4: at Georgia State – Statesboro, Ga.
• April 10–11: at Boise State – Boise, Idaho
• April 17–18: The Gulf Front Invitational – Clearwater Beach, Fla.
• April 23–25: Conference USA Championship – Youngsville, La.
• May 1–3: NCAA Championship – Gulf Shores, Ala.

About USF Beach Volleyball
The University of South Florida Beach Volleyball program is the newest program in the now 21-team USF Athletics program. South Florida Beach Volleyball joined Conference USA on July 1, 2025. Pri Piantadosi-Lima was named South Florida’s first-ever beach volleyball head coach on June 6, 2023. She also serves as the head coach of USAV Beach and the national team development program and was honored as the 2022 USA Volleyball Female Junior Coach of the Year. Before joining South Florida, Piantadosi-Lima helped launch the Eckerd College program in 2015 as an assistant coach and helped lead the program to its first AVCA national championship and two consecutive NCAA championship podium finishes.

X, Instagram, and Facebook for all the latest information concerning the USF Beach Volleyball program.

– #GoBulls –

TULSA, Okla.  — Registration for Tulsa Parks’ spring volleyball is now open.

Tulsa Parks said registration is open for the Youth Volleyball: Skills and Play league for grades 2nd through 5th and Volley Tots, a beginner volleyball program for grades Kindergarten through 1st.

Volley Tots is designed to help kids build confidence, learn volleyball fundamentals and have fun in a positive, team-focused environment.

Players will practice skills like serving, passing, setting and hitting through a mix of instruction, drills and game play, all led by supportive coaches.

Tulsa Parks shared the following details for each league:

Youth Volleyball

• Co-ed
• Meets once during the week on Saturday mornings
• Rotates between Tulsa Parks’ Recreation Center
• March 3 – April. 25
• $50 per resident

Volley Tots

• Saturdays, 9:30 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.
• Reed Community Center
• 5-week introductory program

Spots are limited. You can register by clicking here.

HONOLULU, Hawaii – Loyola Chicago opened the 2026 season with a 3-0 setback at No. 2 Hawaiʻi on Thursday, Jan. 8. In front of 5,800 fans at the Stan Sheriff Center, the Rainbow Warriors claimed the match in straight sets (25-18, 25-19 and 25-15). 

Daniel Fabikovic led the Ramblers offensively with 11 kills on .333 hitting, while Ryan McElligott directed the offense with 26 assists. Loyola recorded nine total team blocks in the match, with Bryce Robbins and Aidan Klein contributing multiple stuffs at the net.

Coach Quote: Shane Davis

“Opening on the road against a team like Hawaiʻi is a great measuring stick for us. We showed flashes of what we’re capable of, especially early in sets but our consistency and execution have to greatly improve. We’ve got some new pieces, but we’ve got to learn to play better together and execute things at a high level. Lots of things to improve on as we prepare for tomorrow’s match.”

How It Happened

Set One | Loyola dropped the first set 25-18 despite a decent showing on the attacking end, putting together a .313 hitting clip with nine kills in the set loss. Kills from Fabikovic and Aleksandar Sosa helped keep the score tight through the midway point until Hawai’i closed the frame on a 9-2 stretch, powered by strong serving and efficient attacking. 

Set Two | The Rainbow Warriors jumped out to an early advantage in set two, capitalizing on a trio of service aces during a decisive run. Loyola responded with improved blocking, led by Robbins and Brad Bell, and kills from Fabikovic and Klein to trim the deficit to three late in the set, but Hawai’i maintained control and took the set 25-19. 

Set Three | Loyola showed fight early in the third, trading points and staying close through the first half. Hawai’i’s serving pressure was pivotal as the home team rattled off a late run to widen the gap and secure the final frame 25-15. The Rainbow Warriors finished the match hitting .211 in the final set, while the Ramblers were limited to a .000 attack percentage.

Inside the Box Score

• Robbins set a career high three block assists and one solo, and Klein also set a career high four block assists. 
• Sosa recorded nine kills in his Loyola debut and added two block assists and one dig.
• Rookie Ayden DesLauriers made his collegiate debut and made three serves for a perfect service percentage. 

Up Next

The Ramblers and Rainbow Warriors rematch tomorrow night, Friday, Jan. 9 at 11 p.m. CT.