Lindsey Sparks sat on the side of UCLA’s beach volleyball courts for two and a half hours each day, unable to participate in practice yet required to attend every one.

Sparks was not far removed from becoming an NCAA Beach Volleyball champion, having played a pivotal role in the Bruins’ title-winning run as a freshman in 2019.

As a member of the fifth pairing Sparks had secured one of the three wins needed in the championship match, and was named to the 2019 NCAA All-Tournament Team.

In the summer after her sophomore season, the young star tore over a third of the cartilage on the backside of her kneecap as well as dislocating it, putting her final two years into jeopardy.

She underwent an experimental knee surgery for a torn medial patellofemoral ligament and injured cartilage on the patella, and was given a 50% chance she would ever play the sport she loved again.

For her entire junior and senior year seasons, Sparks had been relegated to watching practices and shagging balls when her knee was up to it.

Now, four years after the injury and six years after the championship, Sparks is back in the starting lineup, but this time for Cal Poly.

She just wrapped up her second and final regular season with the team while playing on the No. 3 line and was named an All-Big West Honorable Mention.

“I definitely lost hope I’d ever play again after the year mark,” Sparks said. “Then things took a turn for the better, and I’m just super lucky to be here.”

Finding her way back to the volleyball court was not an easy road for the graduate student, who is in her final year of eligibility after seven years on and off the injury report.

Sparks made her official comeback to NCAA action last season as a Mustang, but she had not expected to leave her former program UCLA, where she had rehabbed her injury.

In 2023, after two years of continuous work to strengthen her knee enough to take on the sand, she reached out to her coaches in the hopes of returning to the program for her sixth year.

Sparks found herself on a Zoom with one coach in September 2023 after receiving positive encouragement on her training all summer, when she received the most shocking news of her college career. 

UCLA cut her from the team.

After years of enduring the frustration of being cast aside while she couldn’t play, her shot to prove the doubters wrong had just disappeared with no warning.

Still determined to finish her career as an athlete, Sparks turned to the transfer portal and caught the attention of Todd Rogers, former gold medalist and Cal Poly’s head coach.

Sparks transfers to Cal Poly

Sparks had an initial interest in attending Cal Poly, stemming from her love of nature and positive experience in her visit before ultimately choosing UCLA. In fall of 2023, she reached out to Rogers.

Rogers, who previously tried to recruit her as a freshman, “welcomed [her] with open arms,”  according to Sparks. 

Sparks, after getting her Master’s in Transformative Coaching and Leadership from UCLA, she decided to pursue a Master’s in Nutrition at Cal Poly.

While Rogers knew he was not signing up for a 100 percent healthy Sparks this time around, he saw her as a valuable asset regardless due to her headstrong leadership. 

“We’ve always needed more of those people who are comfortable caring for someone but are also giving them the elbow and saying ‘hey, you can be better than that,’” Rogers said. 

Sparks got to work starting winter quarter 2024. Still in recovery, it took time for her to adjust to the practice regimen. 

While injuries persisted, Sparks noted that the coaching staff allowed her to be active in practice as a leader and supported her through the injury, contrasting with her experience at UCLA. 

“It means a lot for them to believe in me through the ups and the downs,” Sparks said. “They don’t just support me when I’m up.”

While it was uncertain where she would be in the lineup, if at all, she proved to be physically  capable enough to not just be a starter, but land herself in the No. 3 spot. 

Finally somewhat healthy, Sparks reclaimed some of the undeniable talent that had landed her on the All-Pac 12 Second Team in 2021 and the PAC-12 All-Freshman Team in 2019.

Sparks and Perry become reliable duo

That winter, Rogers selected then freshman Quinn Perry to be her partner for the season. Sparks began her Cal Poly career at 24 years old and Perry at 18, but the age gap did not matter, and neither did Sparks’s sudden appearance on the team. 

The pair put up an incredible season at the No. 3 spot in 2024, boasting an 18-5 record and earning All-Big West honorable mentions.

In 2025, Rogers separated the two through the first half of the season before bringing them back together. They still hold strong at an 11-4 record this season.  

Perry and Sparks work best with each other due to their willingness to have “uncomfortable conversations” about their play and conduct on the court, according to Perry. Their honesty with each other allows them to have a strong bond both on and off the sand. 

“My favorite thing about Lindsey is that she is unapologetically herself, which is refreshing especially in this day and age,” Perry said. 

Mustangs upset No. 2 UCLA 

On April 4, 2025, Sparks found herself in a pivotal matchup in what might have been her last shot to showcase her capabilities against her former team. 

Perry and Sparks won in straight sets with Sparks’s former coach Jenny Johnson Jordan coaching against her on the court.

In dramatic fashion, Izzy Martinez and Logan Walter took their matchup 20-18 in the third set, clinching a 3-2 Mustang win. 

Sparks had taken her matchup against the Bruins before, this win marked the first time the Mustangs beat the Bruins in program history. Sparks described it as “the sweetest satisfaction ever.”

“I’m not gonna gloat too much, but it really did feel good,” Sparks said. 

Sparks got her happy ending, but her sights are set higher. Cal Poly Beach Volleyball has entered the NCAA Championships for the second year in a row and will face off against LSU in the first round. 

The only possible scenario where the Mustangs can face off against the No. 1 Bruins again will be if both teams advance to the championship match. 

Sparks begins her final collegiate NCAA run at 1 p.m. against Louisiana State University on May 2. 

In the first match of her final NCAA Beach Volleyball Championship run, graduate student Lindsey Sparks made two diving saves to keep their second set alive, setting up her partner sophomore Quinn Perry for a hit back onto LSU’s side for the winning point.

The play sealed the win for the No. 3 duo, and a 3-0 sweep for the No. 6 seed Mustangs against No. 11 seed LSU in their first round matchup in Gulf Shores, Alabama.

The Mustangs bottom three pairs delivered on Friday, with each winning in just two sets to clinch the win and move the Mustangs on to the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Championships.

All five Cal Poly pairs won their first sets, with the No. 1 and No. 2 matches being stopped early after the Mustangs secured the 3 wins needed to take the match.

Cal Poly’s No. 5 pair of freshman Elise Lenahan and senior Abby Reinard took down their opponents in dominant fashion, winning 21-10 in a blowout second set to seal their match.

Lenihan is the only member of the starting lineup who wasn’t a part of their tournament run last year.

No. 4 pair of redshirt junior Ella Connor and senior Madi Nichols also got the quick win, also by a wide margin in their second match, 21-14.

The Mustangs will move on to day two of the NCAA tournament on Saturday, May 3 to face No. 3 seeded Stanford, who won their match against Boise State on Friday.

Stanford beat Cal Poly earlier in the season, in a 4-1 win at the Center of Effort Challenge on April 11.

The Mustangs will be looking for redemption on the NCAA stage Saturday, with the match starting at 9 a.m. in Gulf Shores.

Head Coach Brittany Harry is proud of her inaugural class and is excited to get to work.

Anderson, one of three setters in the class, will bring a winning mindset as the ultimate competitor, Harry believes.

“We are so happy to add Meghan to the Saluki family. She comes from the storied Skutt Catholic program in Omaha and has spent time in the program running a 6-2 and 5-1 during her career there where they have won several 4A State Championships. She has winning in her blood and is a fierce competitor that is sure to add immediate competition into our setter position.”

Christian will join the Salukis as the second Kansas City native, and Harry is excited to use her versatile skill set.

“Emma Christian is a do-it-all kind of player. Having played for Dynasty out of Kansas City she is a high-skilled player who has a really high volleyball IQ on the court. She has spent time as a setter and defensive specialist/libero and she brings this calm competitiveness energy to the court.  We are thrilled to add Emma to our Saluki family.”

Kerr’s connection with Harry made her recruitment easier than most, and the first-year head coach is ready to get her into Davies Gym.

“It was so fun recruiting Addie to Carbondale. Addie is from Champaign, which is also my hometown and coincidentally her high school coach at St. Thomas More, Brad Dalton, was my freshman year JV coach way back at Central High School. Add the connection with both of us playing club at Illini Elite, it was an easy ‘yes’ to want Addie to come play for us at SIU. Addie will add depth to the setter position. I knew I was getting a gritty competitor with our common connections and I am so excited that she will be with us this fall in a Saluki uniform.”

Laidig has stayed true to Southern throughout her recruiting process, something that did not go unnoticed by Harry.

“Julia is a defensive specialist from Woodstock, IL who played club for VC United. From my first conversation with Julia, I knew I was getting an all-in kid who would fit the mold of the type of player we will recruit to SIU. It is fairly common for kids to reopen their recruitment when a coaching change occurs but that was not the case with Julia. Julia has stayed committed to SIU volleyball and it was great getting to know her this spring. Julia has experience playing just about every position on the court and I am excited to bring her poise and maturity to our program.”

Pena’s hitting prowess at the net makes her a natural fit for the current roster and has sky-high potential.

“Angie is one of those kids who we just clicked within the recruiting process. Angie is a utility hitter who has spent time at every position at the net. She has been trained with a lot of discipline having spent time playing club at Sports Performance and 1^st Alliance in Chicago. Along with top-notch training, she also brings a high standard of winning with her. Angie has a super high ceiling to improve and we are excited to add her arm to our gym in the fall.”

FOLLOW THE SALUKIS

Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Salukis by following the team on X (@SIU_Volleyball), Instagram (@SIU_Volleyball) and Facebook (SalukiVolleyball). Fans can also download the “Salukis” Mobile App on the App Store or Google Play Store.     

BVB5/2/2025 2:03 PM | By: Cal Athletics

Sherman, Donley Break Single Season Pair Wins Record

GULF SHORES, Ala. – The No. 10 California beach volleyball team was defeated in heartbreaking fashion by seventh-seeded Texas in the first round of the NCAA Championship on Friday in Gulf Shores, Alabama.
 
The Golden Bears’ court-one duo of junior Portia Sherman and sophomore Emma Donley picked up its 28th victory of the year to break the program’s single-season pair wins record. All 28 wins came in the top spot of the lineup for the pair that earned the AVCA Top Flight award earlier this morning, which is given to the top pairs who compete in at least 15 matches at a specific court and win at least 75% of their matches. Sherman and Donley are the first pair in Cal history to win the award in the top spot.
 
Texas (28-9) got on the board first winning handily on court three but Cal (27-10) evened the dual at 1-1 with a win a straight-set win by junior Jenna Colligan and senior Ella Dreibholz on court five. Dreibholz, the program’s all-time wins leader, ends her career with a record of 105-38.
 
Sherman and Donley put the Bears up 2-1, bringing the match down to courts two and four, which both went to a third set. Graduate student Maile Somera and Marilu Pally led on court four and held dual point, but the Longhorns battled back to win it in extras.
 
Tied at 2-2 the dual came down to court two where the team-captain pair of graduate student Sierra Caffo and junior Gia Fisher held an 8-4 lead, but once again UT battled back and tied it at 13 apiece. The Bears staved off two dual points but an ace for the Longhorns granted them their first NCAA Championship win.
 
This concludes a historic 2025 season for the Bears who broke several program records including 14 ranked wins, a 12-match win streak, 16 sweeps, and a .781 regular-season win percentage.
 
#7 Texas – 3, #10 Cal – 2
1. Emma Donley/Portia Sherman (Cal) def. Chloe Charles/Eva Liisa Kuivonen (UT) 21-17, 21-15
2. Emma Grace Robertson/Katie Hashman (UT) def. Gia Fisher/Sierra Caffo (Cal) 20-22, 21-17, 17-15
3. Karin Zolnercikova/Maddison Parmelly (UT) def. Ella Sears/Alexandria Young-Gomez (Cal) 22-20, 21-9
4. Macey Butler/Noa Sonneville (UT) def. Marilu Pally/Maile Somera (Cal) 21-18, 19-21, 17-15
5. Jenna Colligan/Ella Dreibholz (Cal) def. Ava Patton/Vivian Johnson (UT) 21-18, 21-19
Order of finish: 3, 5, 1, 4, 2
 

BIG WEST RELEASE

IRVINE, Calif. – It was announced on Friday by The Big West Conference that senior Titans women’s water polo student-athlete, Destiny Hernandez, was named to the All-Big West Honorable Mention team.

It marked the third consecutive season that the Titans earned at least one All-Conference honor.  Mia Solarzano was the Freshman of the Year and an Honorable Mention in 2023, Shyanne Rainey was a Honorable Mention in 2024, and Hernandez was the third Titan to receive that honor.

Destiny Hernandez led the Titans with 67 points for the season.  She scored 45 goals and tallied 22 assists.  She also drew 14 exclusions and recorded 25 steals and 14 field blocks. In Hernandez’s two year career with the Titans after transferring from Orange Coast College, she has tallied 121 points.  She has scored 82 goals and recorded 39 assists over her Titans career. She is the all-time career leader in points for the Titans three year women’s water polo history. 

The Titans concluded the season with an 11-21 overall record and a 0-7 record in conference play.

SUPPORT THE TITANS!

Fans can purchase tickets for various Cal State Fullerton athletic events by visiting FullertonTitansTickets.com. The Athletic Ticket Office can also be contacted by phone at 657-278-2783 or by email at athletictixs@fullerton.edu. The Ticket Office is located at the Titan House off of Gymnasium Drive at the eastern end of the Intramural Fields and is open from 10 am – 4 pm PT, Monday – Friday. 

FOLLOW THE TITANS

Fans can keep up with the latest in Titan Athletics by following us on Facebook (Facebook/FullertonTitans), Twitter (@FullertonTitans) Instagram (FullertonTitans) and Snapchat (FullertonTitans). In addition, the volleyball team has established its own Twitter (@Fullerton_WP) and Instagram accounts (Fullerton_WP). 

WATCH THE TITANS ON ESPN+

Titans fans can now watch every home event exclusively on ESPN+. Cal State Fullerton has built a top-tier production studio to give the viewers an ESPN quality production for all games at Titan Stadium. Additionally, all schools in the Big West Conference are committed to producing ESPN quality streams which will allow fans to watch the Titans on ESPN+ for all road conference game