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Mark Patton: Strand Clan Made East Beach Volleyball Courts a Family Gathering Place | Sports

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The legacy of the Strand Family has continued through the sands of time with both AVP and Olympic volleyball stars

East Beach may be a playground, but twin sisters Kelly and Lisa Strand had to work their way there a half-century ago.

They’d follow their older siblings by riding their bikes for six miles, packing nothing but a sack lunch and the hunger to play some beach volleyball.

“We wouldn’t even bring a towel, just an apple and a peanut butter sandwich,” recalled Kelly, who was a junior-high teen at the time. “We’d stay all day.”

Older brother Warren and sister Kathy were often already there.

They’d be holding court with such local volleyball gentry as Karch Kiraly, a future Olympic gold medalist in both the indoor and beach games.

It took countless hours of playing and pestering before the little sisters were included with all the “Queen Kathies of the Beach”: Kathy Gregory, Kathy Hanley and sister Kathy Strand.

“There was definitely a pecking order,” Lisa told Noozhawk. “We worked hard to get to play on the big girl court.

“We’d beg people to let us play. Thank God we were twins because we always had each other to play with.”

Twins Kelly, left, and Lisa Strand learned their volleyball on the sand courts of East Beach.
Twins Kelly, left, and Lisa Strand learned their volleyball on the sand courts of East Beach. Credit: Strand family photo

Lisa and Kelly will be paired again later this month when the Friends of East Beach Association dedicates “The Strand Court” in their honor.

The festivities will be held at Court No. 3 beginning at 10 a.m. May 31.

The organization has dedicated itself to improving the 16 permanent courts at East Beach. It renovated the first one in the name of the late Henry Bergmann in 2010.

Other courts have been named in honor of Kiraly, siblings John and Kathy Hanley, Gregory, Paul Hodgert and Jon Lee.

“It’s a pretty proud moment for us,” said Kelly, who’s now known by her married name of Kelly Van Winden. “It’s really cool because the name of the court will be The Strand Court.

“I just love that my family gets to be honored.”

Don of an Era

She and Lisa caught the volleyball bug while watching their siblings star for coach Rick Olmstead’s indoor teams at Santa Barbara High School.

Brother Warren played with Kiraly and Hanley on the Dons’ CIF-Southern Section championship boys team of 1978.

“We’d go and watch all those games as the tag-along, little sisters,” Kelly said. “It was so much fun.

“Warren and our sister, Kathy, were really good friends with Karch. They were always together, all three of those guys.”

Lisa Strand, left, and twin sister Kelly were fixtures at East Beach during the summer of 1979, between their sophomore and junior years at Santa Barbara High School.
Lisa Strand, left, and twin sister Kelly were fixtures at East Beach during the summer of 1979, between their sophomore and junior years at Santa Barbara High School. Credit: Strand family photo

Their father, Leon Strand, even hired Kiraly to help dig the foundation for their house.

“Our dad was the one who was always driving us to the beach or taking us to the park for tennis lessons,” Kelly said. “He taught us how to swim.

“He wanted us to be active, and all of that.”

Their father, who died last October, also took them sailing, skiing, and even backpacking in the mountain ranges of the High Sierra.

“He got us involved with a youth church group,” Lisa said. “He was trying to raise us up right and keep us out of trouble, so he kept us busy.

“We all had to get jobs pretty young … He had us pay for all our shoes and skis.”

He also facilitated their passion for volleyball.

“We’d stay up late in the front yard rallying, so our dad set up a night light,” Lisa said. “With only one volleyball, we had to wait till Warren and Kathy were done to go out and rally.”

Kelly and Lisa, like their older siblings, played for Olmstead at Santa Barbara High. They were both named to the All-CIF Southern Section Division 4A First Team during their senior season in the autumn of 1980.

“I don’t remember how far we went into the CIF playoffs every year, but I do remember all the fun we had and what great shape we were in,” Lisa said. “Our biggest rival was San Marcos.

Lisa Strand, left, and sister Kelly played together in several professional tournaments after having honed their games on the sands of Santa Barbara’s East Beach.
Lisa Strand, left, and sister Kelly played together in several professional tournaments after having honed their games on the sands of Santa Barbara’s East Beach. Credit: Strand family photo

“We’d go to Frimple’s for breakfast and do car rallies down State Street prior to those games.”

Girls volleyball at that time was in only its ninth year of sanction by the California Interscholastic Federation.

“I didn’t even recognize how lucky I was at the time, I was just riding the wave,” Kelly said. “It was like these doors opened and I just walked through them.

“I’m not saying that it didn’t come with hard work — the drive to play the game came from inside — but I had no idea about all of that.”

The twins also had no clue that volleyball could be the path to a college scholarship. Olmstead took them aside after their senior season to show them an envelope full of recruiting letters that had been addressed to them.

“He told us, ‘I want you to look through this … You can go to college to play volleyball,’” Kelly said. “We were like, ‘What are you talking about? Are you crazy?’

“We had no idea. We were just playing the game.”

The Next Level

Kelly first went to UC Santa Barbara, serving as a team captain her sophomore season, before transferring to Cal Poly.

She earned first-team all-league honors in 1984 and led the Mustangs to a 32-8 record and the championship of the Pacific Coast Athletic Association. (The league was later renamed as the Big West Conference).

Kelly Strand Van Winden angles a shot past a blocker during one of her professional beach volleyball tournaments.
Kelly Strand Van Winden angles a shot past a blocker during one of her professional beach volleyball tournaments. Credit: Strand Family photo

Lisa, a versatile middle blocker, enjoyed even greater success at the University of Hawai‘i, earning All-America honors in both 1982 and 1983 while leading the Rainbow Wahine to back-to-back NCAA championships.

But both twins were just getting started with their lives in volleyball.

Kelly competed on the Women’s Professional Volleyball Association beach circuit for more than a decade, finishing as high as third in the Austin, Texas, event.

She also played two seasons with Major League Volleyball’s San José Golddiggers and four more on the four-person Bud Light Pro Beach Tour. She served as captain of the 1993-1994 championship team.

Kelly also coached at Napa Valley College as well as at Sonoma State College, earning three coach of the year honors.

Lisa, like her sister, competed in both Major League Volleyball and on the Bud Light circuit. She also played on the Association of Volleyball Professionals Tour.

She partnered with Janice Opalinski in 1990 to win the AVP’s Salem Fresh Tokyo Tournament — the richest tour event of that year.

They also got busy starting families.

Lisa Strand competes in the 1990 WPVA Flamingo Hilton/PCH John Shaw Open in Manhattan Beach.
Lisa Strand competes in the 1990 WPVA Flamingo Hilton/PCH John Shaw Open in Manhattan Beach. Credit: Strand family photo

Kelly married her college sweetheart, Cal Poly basketball player Jim Van Winden. Their daughters, Adlee and Torrey, both earned AVCA All-America honors at their parents’ alma mater.

“Much as we exposed our kids to other things, they chose the sport,” Kelly said. “We sort of led them all away from it, but at the same time they all chased it … They all fell in love with it.”

Torrey now plays on the AVP Tour with cousin Katie Spieler, Kathy’s daughter.

Her sister, now known by the married name of Adlee Kass, also still plays volleyball and is expecting her first child this summer.

“She plans on playing six months pregnant in the Santa Barbara Open,” Kelly said.

Lisa and former University of Hawai‘i men’s volleyball star Pono Ma’a are the parents of four former collegiate volleyball stars: Misty (Miami), Micah (UCLA), Mehana (UCSB) and Maluhia (Kent State).

Micah Ma’a made the Men’s National Team as a setter and helped the United States win a bronze medal at last summer’s Olympic Games in Paris.

“I went to Paris with Warren, Kathy and Kelly,” said Lisa, who’s served as a color analyst the last two decades for University Hawai‘i volleyball telecasts.

“We spent 12 days there and it was the most incredible trip I’ve ever been on.”

She claims that watching her children play volleyball doesn’t make her nervous even when an Olympic medal is at stake.

“I am just happy that they loved the sport,” Lisa said.

Beach Party

East Beach has always been their happy place.

Kelly and Jim even held their wedding reception at a venue that overlooked the area.

“East Beach was just such a comfortable place to be,” Kelly said. “It was like my backyard growing up.

“We’d go down there without a towel … Lie in the sand … Then we’d dive into the ocean, come back out, and lie in the sand once more to get warm.”

Lisa recalls that time as “those lazy, crazy days when all you’d do is play and then swim in the ocean.”

“It was like our yard … Our front yard and our back yard,” she said. “We lived to go down there and play.”

Lisa Strand, center, who led the University of Hawai‘i women’s volleyball team to a pair of NCAA championships, has been a color analyst for the school’s volleyball telecasts for the last two decades.
Lisa Strand, center, who led the University of Hawai‘i women’s volleyball team to a pair of NCAA championships, has been a color analyst for the school’s volleyball telecasts for the last two decades. Credit: University of Hawai‘i Athletics photo

She also remembers how satisfying it was when they were accepted by the older players.

“If you lost, you had to wait like forever to get another chance,” Lisa explained, “so it helped with our motivation, and trained us to always win.”

Kelly, who still coaches aspiring players on the sand court that Jim built in their backyard, said “all those women at East Beach have no idea of how influential they were, and in so many ways.”

“They were so wonderful and kind, 99% of the time, to everybody in my family,” she said. “That was pretty huge.”

And it’s something she and her sister have devoted themselves to paying back, over and over again.



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No. 11 CSUN Opens 2026 Season With Three Matches at UCSB Asics Invitational

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January 8, 2026

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CSUN THIS WEEK:

UCSB ASICS INVITATIONAL

MATCH #1

CSUN Matadors (0-0) vs. Maryville Saints (0-0)

Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026 – 7:00 p.m. PT

Rob Gym – Santa Barbara, Calif.

ESPN+

Live Stats

MATCH #2

CSUN Matadors vs. Harvard Crimson

Friday, Jan. 9, 2026 – 2:00 p.m. PT

Rob Gym – Santa Barbara, Calif

ESPN+

Live Stats

MATCH #3

CSUN Matadors vs. Kentucky State Thorobreds

Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026 – 4:30 p.m. PT

Rob Gym – Santa Barbara, Calif

ESPN+

Live Stats

In-game X updates: @CSUNMensVB

CSUN Men’s Volleyball Media Notes

FOR STARTERS

The preseason 11th-ranked CSUN Men’s Volleyball team (0-0, 0-0 Big West) opens the 2026 season, its 50th season of men’s volleyball, against Maryville on Thursday at the UCSB Asics Invitational in Santa Barbara. The match is the first of three for the Matadors at the annual tournament held at Rob Gym on the UCSB campus. CSUN opens the tournament Thursday against Maryville at 7 p.m., before taking on Harvard on Friday at 2 p.m. The Matadors conclude the three-day event on Saturday, taking on Kentucky State at 4:30 p.m. Fellow Big West teams UC Irvine and host UC Santa Barbara round out the six-team field this weekend.

FOLLOW YOUR MATADORS ONLINE

All nine matches of UCSB’s Asics Invitational will stream live on ESPN+ and will have live stats available (links at GoMatadors.com). CSUN home matches this season will also stream live on the ESPN+ platform, with Darren Preston handling a majority of the play-by-play this season.

Fans can also follow CSUN Matador men’s volleyball online at the official home of CSUN athletics, www. GoMatadors.com for related links to the match, including any live stats, audio, and video. Fans are also encouraged to check the CSUN Athletics Department’s official X feed (@ GoMatadors) and the volleyball-specific feed (@CSUNMensVB) for news and notes throughout the week, as well as updates of matches in progress.

CSUN RANKED 11TH IN 2026 AVCA PRESEASON MEN’S VOLLEYBALL POLL

After finishing the 2025 season ranked ninth in the final AVCA National Collegiate Poll, CSUN opens the 2026 season ranked 11th in the national preseason poll (Dec. 23). The Matadors, who finished 18-11 in 2025, finished in the top 10 in the final poll for the first time since 2018 and the second time in the last seven seasons. After being ranked in all 18 polls last season, CSUN received 238 points in the preseason poll to rank ninth. 

Since reclaiming a spot in the AVCA national poll in 2023, the Matadors have been ranked in the top 20 in 36 consecutive polls and 46 of the last 49 AVCA national polls since the 2023 season. CSUN has been a fixture in the national polls historically, having previously been ranked in the AVCA Top-15 for 62 consecutive weeks and 262 of the last 289 weekly polls dating back to the 2002 season. 

UCLA opens the 2026 season ranked first in the preseason poll, collecting 12 of 24 first-place votes and 481 total points. Hawai’i is second after receiving seven first-place votes and 473 points, followed by defending national champions Long Beach State, which received five first-place votes and 460 points. The remainder of the preseason top five includes Pepperdine and USC with UC Irvine, Loyola Chicago, BYU, Stanford, and UC San Diego  rounding out the preseason top 10. The second half of the preseason top-20 poll includes the Matadors, Lewis, Penn State, Ohio State, McKendree, Ball State, UC Santa Barbara, Princeton, George Mason, and Lincoln Memorial.

SCOUTING THE ASICS INVITATIONAL FIELD

Maryville (0-0) opens its fifth season of men’s volleyball on Thursday in Santa Barbara. The Saints were picked to finish second in their inaugural season as members of the Great Lakes Valley Conference. Maryville earned four first-place votes and 43 total points to finish second to Rockhurst in the polling. Junior OH Makai Scott returns after leading the Saints with 307 kills (3.37 kps) and 211 digs last season. After finishing 19-9 in 2025, the Saints return 13 players while adding six newcomers in 2026. All-time series: Thursday’s match marks the first-ever meeting between the Matadors and Saints in men’s volleyball.

Harvard (0-0) opens the 2026 season on Thursday against UC Irvine. The Crimson, who finished 9-15 in 2025, were picked to tie for fifth in the EIVA Coaches’ Preseason Poll. Seniors Zach Berty and Brian Thomas were named as Players to Watch by the conference’s seven head coaches. Berty averaged 2.22 kills per set in 2025, while Thomas averaged 0.94 blocks per set to lead the team. All-time series: Friday’s match is the seventh meeting all-time between CSUN and Harvard, with the Matadors holding a 5-1 edge in the series. The two teams also met at the UCSB Invitational in 2019, with CSUN pulling out a five-set win.

Kentucky State (0-0) also opens its 2026 season in Santa Barbara. The Thorobreds, who were picked to finish sixth in the SIAC (Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) Preseason Poll, will open against UC Santa Barbara on Thursday, before taking on UC Irvine and the Matadors to conclude the weekend. All-time series: Saturday’s match marks the first-ever meeting between the Matadors and Thorobreds in men’s volleyball.

CSUN AT THE UCSB ASICS INVITATIONAL

Thursday’s match against Maryville marks CSUN’s 25th appearance in UC Santa Barbara’s annual tournament in the last 29 years. The Matadors are 56-37 (.602) all-time in the tournament dating back to 2001. Last season, the Matadors finished 3-0 in the tournament with wins over Tusculum (3-0), Missouri S&T (3-0), and Menlo (3-1).

Since 2019, the Matadors are 8-7 in UCSB’s annual event, finishing 1-2 three times (2019, 2023, 2024) and 2-1 in 2019. After the 2021 tournament was canceled due to the COVID pandemic, CSUN was scheduled to open the 2022 season in Santa Barbara but due to COVID protocols within the program, the Matadors were forced to withdraw, snapping a streak of 16 consecutive appearances. In 2019, CSUN dropped a five-set decision to Grand Canyon, which snapped a streak of 11 straight Matador wins in the tournament dating back to a loss to Princeton in 2015. CSUN won its first-ever UCSB Invitational championship in 2009 after upsetting No. 2 UCLA (3-1) and defeating No. 14 UCSB (3-1) and No. 8 Stanford (3-1). The Matadors then won their second straight crown in 2010, topping UCSB (3-1), California Baptist (3-1), and BYU (3-1).

THREE MATADORS NAMED AVCA ALL-AMERICAN, ALL-BIG WEST IN 2025

For the first time since 2018, CSUN had three student-athletes named to the All-Big West First Team in 2025. The Matadors had three first-team selections as senior Donovan Constable, redshirt sophomore Jalen Phillips, and freshman Stilian Delibosov were all named to the top team. The last time CSUN had three players named first team was 2018, when Eric Chance, Arvis Greene, Jr., and Dimitar Kalchev earned top honors. All three players went on to earn AVCA All-America honors as Phillips was named to the First Team and Constable and Delibosov earned honorable mention accolades.

NEW FACES IN 2026

In addition to returning 10 letterwinners and five starters from the 2025 season, CSUN welcomes an impressive list of newcomers in 2026. The group includes a trio of 2025 redshirts, including sophomore Owen Douphner, who steps in for departed All-American Donovan Constable at setter. Transfer Jordan Lucas (Grand Canyon) and redshirt freshman Grayson Albers (Sacramento) each open their first season on the active roster in 2026. CSUN also welcomes a trio of true freshmen in 2026 that includes Kingston Jerome, Joel Eanes, and Noah Douphner. Jerome comes to CSUN from Shadow Ridge High School in Las Vegas, Nev., while Eanes is a 6-9 opposite from Kellam High School in Virginia Beach, Va. Douphner is a local product from nearby Stevenson Ranch and the younger brother of the CSUN setter.

MATADORS IN THE BIG WEST  

The 2026 season marks CSUN’s ninth as a member of the Big West in men’s volleyball. With a 3-7 regular season record in 2025, the Matadors are 18-52 (.257) in 70 Big West matches over eight seasons since the conference’s inaugural campaign in 2018. CSUN finished 5-5 in the first Big West season in 2018 before finishing 3-7 in 2019, 2024, and 2025, 2-8 in 2021 and 1-9 in both 2022 and 2023. Prior to 2018, the Matadors played 25 seasons as a member of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) from 1993-2017 and 16 seasons in the Western Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (WIVA) from 1977-92.

EDWARDS IN FOURTH SEASON AS CSUN HEAD COACH

Theo Edwards is in his fourth season as CSUN’s head coach in 2026 after leading the Matadors back into the AVCA national rankings in his first three seasons. Now in his 16th season at CSUN, Edwards was named the successor to Jeff Campbell on Dec. 9, 2022. CSUN finished 12-16 in Edwards’ first season (1-9 in the Big West) in 2023 and the Matadors have steadily improved in each of Edwards’ three seasons. CSUN finished 13-16 in 2024 and 18-11 in 2025. Under Edwards’ leadership, CSUN earned a No. 7 national ranking on Mar. 10 of the 2025 season, its highest national ranking in seven seasons. The Matadors finished the 2025 season with a No. 9 national ranking, also its best since 2018.

LOOKING AHEAD

Following three matches at the UCSB Asics Invitational, the Matadors will remain on the road for two more matches next week. CSUN will travel to the Midwest for the 2026 Under Armour Invitational at Lindenwood in St. Charles, Mo. The Matadors will take on the host Lions on Jan. 16 before meeting Purdue Fort Wayne on Jan. 17 at 2:00 p.m. PT.

#GoMatadors



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Jenna Ibieta named head coach of Loyola indoor, beach volleyball programs – Crescent City Sports

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January 8, 2026

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Jenna Ibieta steps into her new role after earning SSAC Assistant Coach of the Year honors in November

NEW ORLEANS – The Loyola University New Orleans indoor and beach volleyball program has a familiar face grabbing the reins, as Jenna Ibieta was named the new head coach for the two teams, Assistant Vice President of Athletics Brett Simpson announced Wednesday. Ibieta made the move to her new role after serving as assistant coach for the indoor fall 2025 season.

She’s the eighth head coach in program history.

“We’re excited to announce Jenna Ibieta as our next Head Volleyball Coach at Loyola University New Orleans,” Simpson said. “Jenna has already made a significant impact on our program through her leadership and deep understanding of the game, earning SSAC Assistant Coach of the Year honors this past season. With head coaching experience at the high school level, extensive club coaching in New Orleans, and a strong background as a student-athlete at Tulane, she is well-positioned to lead our program forward and build on our recent success.

Ibieta joined the Wolf Pack in May and helped the indoor team collect 29 wins, the second-most in program wins, the program’s first SSAC Championship title, and the second NAIA national tournament appearance in three years. She was also named the SSAC Assistant Coach of the Year.

“This is home for me, and I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to lead these programs,” Ibieta said. “What last season’s group accomplished set a strong foundation, and with a talented recruiting class coming in, I’m excited to continue building a culture grounded in excellence. I’m looking forward to what’s ahead and honored to be part of the ongoing growth and success of the Indoor and Beach programs.”

Ibieta’s roles with the program have been leading the recruiting efforts, player development, travel logistics, and on-court training, with a focus on offensive systems. She coached five members of the SSAC All-Conference team, including SSAC Freshman and Attacker of the Year Isis Harink, all-conference first-teamers Alexa Palmer and Kala Emanuelli, along with Harink, and members of the second team: Ivana De Carvalho Peixe and Samantha Guillotte.

Before joining the Loyola staff, Ibieta spent the four years prior in Lafayette, serving as the Head Volleyball Coach at Acadiana High School (2024–2025) and Sacred Heart Grand Coteau (2021–2024), while also working as an Admissions Coordinator. She brings additional experience from the club volleyball scene, having coached with the Cajun Elite and Louisiana Volleyball programs during that four-year stretch.

A former collegiate setter at Tulane University (2017–2019), Ibieta tallied 1,497 assists and 556 digs over her career. She was named to the All-State Sugar Bowl Collegiate Classic All-Tournament Team, was a member of the Tulane Athletic 3.0 Club, and earned American Athletic Conference All-Academic Team honors in 2018–2019. She holds a B.S. in Communications with minors in Sociology and Business.

Ibieta’s volleyball roots run deep. As a standout player at Metairie Park Country Day, she led her team to four LHSAA State Championships (2012–2014, 2016) and was named Louisiana Miss Volleyball in 2016. She holds the school record with over 5,000 career assists and was a four-time all-state selection. Her coaching journey began early, contributing to NOLA Volleyball during her high school and college years.

Volleyball excellence runs in the family, too. Her mother, Julie Stempel Ibieta, is a former LSU volleyball standout and co-director of NOLA Volleyball. Her father, Juan Ibieta, played baseball at Tulane. Her brothers, Justin and Jake, are also involved in collegiate athletics — Justin as a graduate assistant with Tulane Football and Jake as a member of the LSU football team.

A reception to introduce Coach Ibieta will take place at 12:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 12, in the University Sports Complex’s Hall of Fame Room.



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Two Scholar Athletes Highlight Academic Awards for Hornet Volleyball

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January 8, 2026

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Women’s Volleyball | 1/7/2026 2:00:00 PM

January 7, 2026 – Emporia State volleyball had two MIAA Scholar Athletes and six players in total earn MIAA Academic recognition for the 2025 season.
 
Mia Frisbie and Brailee Bogle were both MIAA Scholar Athletes for their performance on the court and in the classroom, as both were named Honorable Mention All-MIAA for the 2025 season.
 
Along with Frisbie and Bogle, Brenna Smith, Willow Deckinger, Sydney Fiatte and Camilla Ossola were named to the MIAA Academic Honor Roll. All six players earned their second career recognition on the Academic Honor Roll.
 
To be recognized on the Academic Honor Roll, one must have a grade point average used by the institution for purposes of NCAA academic certification of 3.00 at the certifying member institution. The individual must also have at least two terms of attendance at the certifying member institution, excluding summer terms.
 
To qualify as a Scholar-Athlete an individual must have a grade point average used by the institution for purposes of NCAA academic certification of 3.50 at the certifying member institution. The student-athlete must have at least two terms of attendance at the certifying member institution, excluding summer terms. If competing in a championship sport of the MIAA, the student-athlete must also earn All-MIAA honors from the 2024 season. 
 
MIAA Scholar Athletes





Mia Frisbie Sophomore 3.98 Health & Human Perf. Overland Park, Kan.
Braile Bogle Junior 3.55 Biology Wichita, Kan.

MIAA Academic Honor Roll









Mia Frisbie Sophomore 3.98 Health & Human Perf. Overland Park, Kan.
Brenna Smith Sophomore 3.84 Health & Human Perf. St. Mary’s, Kan.
Willow Deckinger Sophomore 3.76 English Wichita, Kan.
Sydney Fiatte Senior 3.73 Health & Human Perf. Shawnee, Kan.
Camilla Ossola Senior 3.72 Biology Gavirate, Italy
Braile Bogle Junior 3.55 Biology Wichita, Kan.

 



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No. 7 Ramblers Start Season at No. 2 Rainbow Warriors

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January 8, 2026

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LEADING OFF 
No. 7 Loyola Chicago opens its 2026 season with a two-match series at No. 2 Hawai’i on Thursday, Jan. 8 and Friday, Jan. 9. First serve for both matches is set for 11 p.m. CT.  

QUICK HITS 

  • Loyola headlines the MIVA conference in the preseason poll; Ryan McElligott, Daniel Fabikovic and Aleksander Sosa tabbed Preseason All-MIVA. The Ramblers were picked seventh in the AVCA Preseason Poll. 

  • McElligott finished 2025 as both the MIVA and NCAA assists leader, averaging 10.9 per set.  

  • The Ramblers returned 15 student-athletes and welcomed five new faces, including two freshmen and three transfers.  

  • Assistant coach Dalton Solbrig lettered four years for the Rainbow Warriors from 2016-19. He was a member of two NCAA Tournament teams, including the national runner-up squad in 2019. 

  • Head coach Shane Davis enters his 14th season at Loyola, sporting a 289-92 (.759) career record. In his first season back, Davis led the Ramblers to a 25-4 ledger, their fourth MIVA Tournament title and fourth NCAA Tournament berth. 

  • 2026 marks the 30th anniversary of Loyola’s men’s volleyball program, which is home to two of the university’s three NCAA national championship titles.  

SCOUTING REPORT 
Hawai’i kicked off its season with a two-match series sweep of NJIT (Jan. 2, Jan. 4), in which sophomore opposite Kristian Titriyski combined for 23 kills on .438 hitting. The 6-foot-8 Bulgarian national added five service aces against NJIT. As a team, the Rainbow Warriors hit .517 in both matches. Junior setter Tread Rosenthal led each match in assists, recording 26 in the first and 30 in the rematch. He also contributed 11 total blocks across the series.  

Head coach Charlie Wade entered his 17th season at the helm of the program and boasts a 321-131 career record at Hawai’i. Last season, he led the Rainbow Warriors to their fourth overall Big West Tournament title and 10th NCAA Tournament appearance.  

 

SERIES HISTORY  

The Rainbow Warriors lead the all-time series, 13-3, with the Ramblers and are 12-3 at home against the MIVA opponent. In their last meeting, Loyola left Hawai’i 1-1 after falling 3-0 in match one then taking the second in a five-set thriller. This year’s two-match series marks Davis’ 11th overall matchup against Hawai’i, and his fifth as head coach.  

FOLLOW THE ACTION 

Stream both matches on ESPN+. Follow men’s volleyball on Instagram and X @RamblersMVB for in-game updates. 



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South Tahoe High School graduate completes first year as NCAA Division I university head volleyball coach

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January 8, 2026

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Shawn McLaughlin has just completed his first year as volleyball head coach at Lehigh University
Provided/Shawn McLaughlin

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – For Shawn McLaughlin, a South Lake Tahoe native, being part of a team was something that came naturally. 

Growing up in Tahoe, McLaughlin was accustomed to community involvement, watching as his father coached track and eventually varsity volleyball as the head coach at George Whittell High School. 

“I used to joke that I was the youngest assistant coach in the country,” said McLaughlin. “I would just go around and help him keep stats.”

McLaughlin’s father was extremely successful as head volleyball coach, going on to win several state championships over his 18-year run at both Whittell and South Tahoe High Schools, allowing McLaughlin the opportunity to find interest in following in his footsteps. 

Playing volleyball throughout his school years, McLaughlin was also part of a junior club team in the Bay Area before going on to play varsity volleyball at Lindenwood University in St. Louis. 

After graduating from college, McLaughlin started volunteer coaching at a number of different schools including UC Davis, University of Nevada, Reno, University of the Incarnate Word, and more all around the country. 

“My dad had a huge impact on my wanting to coach,” McLaughlin said, and pretty early on, he determined that a career in education was the direction he wanted to go in. “Volleyball is my means, in education, in growth and learning. I’ve always loved that element and I think that’s part of the reason that coaching has gone the way it’s gone.”

Among McLaughlin’s accomplishments, he brought many teams to their national tournaments through the club ranks. In addition, he won gold in 2014 at the USA Volleyball Junior National in 14’s USA. In terms of college, he’s been coaching for 15 years, winning several conference championships and attending the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) tournament several times. 

En route to becoming a Division I (D-I) coach, the opportunity presented itself in the form of his father running a club and bringing in college coaches.

“One of the coaches he brought in was Jamie Holmes, she was at UC Davis. I approached her and said ‘How do I get into this?’ and she said, ‘come be my volunteer,’” said McLaughlin. “It was a great start to my program and a great start to my career and that pushed me into the rest of it.”

McLaughlin is now in his first headcoaching opportunity at Lehigh University, a D-I school in Pennsylvania, and with his first year completed, the competitive program is allowing him to utilize the skills he’s learned over the years assisting other D-I coaches. “Now this is my opportunity to be super successful and to run my own ship.”

McLaughlin aims to focus on the development of the holistic student athlete
Provided/Shawn McLaughlin

Despite suffering a major injury, his team was still able to overcome adversity and make it to the Patriot League Tournament, an unprecedented accomplishment for Lehigh. 

“I think 2026 could be a really fun year for this team,” added McLaughlin, and with seven seniors on the team, they are striving to be victorious. 

Although McLaughlin is now soaring high as head coach, he doesn’t forget his roots, and continues to return to South Lake Tahoe every Christmas.

“[South Lake Tahoe] is one of the best places in the world to grow up. It’s also a very active community,” McLaughlin said. “It’s just home. It still feels like home to me.” 





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