FORT WORTH – The path to a repeat national championship has been set, as TCU beach volleyball head coach Hector Gutierrez released the program’s 2026 spring schedule on Wednesday.
 
The slate features three home tournaments along with a mid-week matchup against Stanford on March 25 in Fort Worth. The Horned Frogs are set for two trips in the regular season to the state of Florida, and one a piece to Arizona and California.
 
While official schedules for each tournament have not been set, TCU has potential opponents for each weekend. Of these potential opponents, 11 are coming off an appearance in the 16-team NCAA Championship field in 2025.
 
In addition, TCU could face every other National Semifinalist from last season and could have a National Championship rematch with LMU in April.
 
The Horned Frogs enter the 2026 campaign riding a 12-match winning streak, 60-match home winning streak and with a 42-0 record against teams from the state of Texas.
 
TCU is looking to continue the positive momentum from its incredible 2025 season, which saw the Horned Frogs win the program’s first ever National Championship. In addition, the Frogs claimed the inaugural Big 12 Championship, marking the third consecutive conference crown for the program.
 
The 2025 season was a culmination of sustained success over multiple seasons. Dating back to 2020, TCU is the second-winningest program in collegiate beach volleyball with 174 total wins. This decade, the Horned Frogs are averaging almost 33 wins per season (excluding the COVID-shortened season in 2020).  
 
Here’s a breakdown of TCU’s weekend tournaments. Note that this does not include a March 25 home matchup with Stanford.
 
Canyon Classic // Phoenix, Ariz. // February 19-21
TCU opens its season in The Grand Canyon State on the campus of Grand Canyon University. This marks the Horned Frogs first trip to Phoenix since 2017, when they posted a 3-1 record at the Grand Canyon Beach Tournament.
 
Potential matchups for the Frogs are Big 12 foes Arizona and Arizona State, along with Colorado Mesa, UC Davis and the host institution Grand Canyon. TCU holds a combined series record of 20-12 against the five teams and has undefeated records against Colorado Mesa and UC Davis. Grand Canyon and TCU are the lone teams in the field to compete at the NCAA Championship last season. 
 
All-Time Series Histories: Arizona (2-4), Arizona State (8-3), Colorado Mesa (2-0), Grand Canyon (4-5), UC Davis (4-0)
 
Seminole Beach Bash // Tallahassee, Fla. // February 26-28
The opening season road trip continues for the Horned Frogs as they head to Florida State, the newest member of the Big 12, for the Seminole Beach Bash. TCU last played in Tallahassee in 2022, when it went 4-1 in its second tournament of the season at Florida State.
 
Joining the Frogs and Seminoles in Tallahassee is Florida Atlantic, Florida Gulf Coast, North Florida, South Florida, Tampa and UNC Wilmington, making TCU one of just two programs from outside the state of Florida at the event. 
 
All-Time Series Histories: Florida Atlantic (8-4), Florida Gulf Coast (5-1), Florida State (7-14), North Florida (2-1), South Florida (0-0), Tampa (3-0), UNC Wilmington (3-1)
 
TCU Invitational // Fort Worth, Texas // March 6-7
For the first time in 2026, TCU will return home to host the annual TCU Invitational. The Horned Frogs are 18-1 at the tournament coined the TCU Invitational, and this will mark the sixth such event. 
 

Headed to Fort Worth for the first weekend of March will be Florida Gulf Coast, HCU and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. TCU is 34-1 against the three opponents all-time and has never faltered to HCU or Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, or any team from the state of Texas.
 
All-Time Series Histories: Florida Gulf Coast (5-1), HCU (15-0), Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (14-0)
 
Pompano Tournament // Pompano Beach, Fla. // March 13-17
The Frogs go back on the road for a trip to South Florida to take on the Pompano Tournament hosted by Florida Atlantic. This is the second consecutive year TCU has competed at Pompano Beach, going 6-0 last year at the FAU Beach Invitational.
 
TCU is the lone non-Florida school in the tournament, joining Florida Atlantic, Florida State, South Florida and Tampa. All-time, the Horned Frogs are 18-18 against the field.
 
All-Time Series Histories: Florida Atlantic (8-4), Florida State (7-14), South Florida (0-0), Tampa (3-0)
 
Big 12 Preview // Fort Worth, Texas // March 27-28
After hosting Stanford in a midweek, the Horned Frogs play host to all five other members of the new look Big 12. This tournament gives the entire league an opportunity to face each other prior to the conference tournament the following month.
 
Joining last year’s members Arizona and Arizona State are Boise State, Florida State and South Carolina. TCU holds a 25-24 advantage over the five schools headed to Fort Worth.
 
All-Time Series Histories: Arizona (2-4), Arizona State (8-3), Boise State (2-0), Florida State (7-14), South Carolina (6-3)
 
Center of Effort Challenge // San Luis Obispo, Calif. // April 9-12
For the third straight season, TCU will compete at the Center of Effort Challenge hosted by Cal Poly. The Horned Frogs have posted a 7-5 record over the past three years at the tournament, including a 2-2 mark last season.
 
The loaded field includes Arizona State, Cal, Cal Poly, LMU, Stanford, UCLA and USC. Of these teams, all but one competed in the NCAA Championships last season (Arizona State). In addition, the top-six seeds will all compete at the tournament on the California coast.
 
All-Time Series Histories: Arizona State (8-3), Cal (4-0), Cal Poly (6-4), LMU (4-3), Stanford (5-2), UCLA (3-7), USC (2-10)
 
Fight in the Fort // Fort Worth, Texas // April 16-18
The Horned Frogs close out the regular season by hosting the annual Fight in the Fort. TCU is 28-6 all time at the tournament.
 
This season, the field features North Florida, Stephen F. Austin and Tarleton State. TCU is 5-1 all-time against the three teams, with an unblemished record against Stephen F. Austin and Tarleton State.
 
All-Time Series Histories: North Florida (2-1), Stephen F. Austin (2-0), Tarleton State (1-0)
 
Big 12 Conference Championship // Tucson, Ariz. // April 22-24
The second annual Big 12 Conference Championship will be hosted by the University of Arizona. Last season, TCU went 3-0 with wins over Utah and Arizona State twice en route to the inaugural crown. The Horned Frogs have won three consecutive conference titles in three different conferences.
 
The 2026 event will feature an expanded Big 12, with members joining TCU being Arizona, Arizona State, Boise State, Florida State and South Carolina. The Horned Frogs are at weekend tournaments with all five other members of the league.
 
NCAA Championships // Gulf Shores, Ala. // May 1-3
TCU will look to repeat as National Champions at the 2026 NCAA Championships, being hosted again in Gulf Shores, Alabama. The tournament format will feature 16 of the best teams from around the country in a three-day event. 
 
All-time, the Frogs are 7-6 at the NCAA Championships and have made five consecutive appearances in Gulf Shores.

The second round had been the furthest the SMU volleyball team had ever gone in the NCAA tournament. Not anymore.

Not only did the second-seeded Mustangs win their first and second-round matchups, but they did so in emphatic and impressive fashion. SMU set a program and NCAA tournament record with a .618 hitting percentage against Central Arkansas in a first-round sweep.

Jadyn Livings led with 15 kills, with only one error on 23 swings, while Malaya Jones had her 25th double-double with 11 kills and 10 digs and Averi Carlson had 35 assists. Favor Anyanwu delivered seven blocks, and Jordyn Schilling had 11 digs to lead SMU’s defense.

“We’ve talked a lot about joy in the battle. We want to earn it,” SMU head coach Sam Erger said. “We don’t want them to give us anything. We want to earn every single point. And no one should walk away here going, ‘SMU didn’t go and make that happen.’ So we work a lot on mentality, and then when you hit so well, I think you got to talk about your setter. We have one of the best with Averi making everybody look good.”

The 25-13, 25-13, 25-13 victory got the Mustangs to the second round for the third straight year. The breakthrough came against Florida. 

SMU dominated the first set for a 25-11 win, then fought for 25-21 and 26-24 wins in the second and third sets to reach the third round for the first time in program history.

“I’m just so happy and proud and excited, and we’re going to enjoy this for a moment, because this is our program’s first time to ever do this,” Erger said. “I do believe that we felt like this was something we could do, and we’re excited for the next round, but I think we should enjoy some of the history that is being made.”

It has been a season of history for the Mustangs. SMU was ranked as high as No. 7 in the country during the regular season, the program’s highest ranking ever. The victory against Florida was the team’s 27th of the season and 15th at home, both tying the program record. And it was the 100th career victory for Erger.

Individually, Jones surpassed the 500-kill mark to become just the second player in SMU history to do so. Anyanwu is within 14 blocks of the single-season record, and Carlson is third for single-season assists in the rally scoring era and sixth all-time.

No matter the challenge the Mustangs face, the new territory they enter or anything else, they feel ready to take it on together.

“I definitely had no doubt going into (the Florida) match,” Anyanwu said. “I knew whatever was thrown at us, we’ve gone through worse, so I had full-on confidence that no matter what they threw at us, we were going to be able to persevere and come through in the end. I’m just so grateful to play for a program like this, and it just means the world that we just rally behind each other and we just support each other fully. It’s amazing.”

After a dominant first set, the Mustangs trailed 16-12 in the second set. They won the next five points to take a lead. With the set tied at 19, SMU finished the set on a 6-2 run to win 25-21.

Even though it was only the second set, it was a crucial turning point in the match.

“I didn’t say this to the team, and I thought about saying this, but I really felt like if we won that second set, we would win the match,” Erger said. “That’s just where I was at.… I always think we’re going to win, but I’m like, ‘If we win the second set, this is our match’ because we’re going to come back from this adversity, and I know my team, and I know how fired up they’re going to be to close it out.”

That’s been the attitude and approach of the team all season. Erger has referred to them as fighters and having that mentality throughout the year. It now has the Mustangs in the Sweet 16 for the first time ever.

“We work a lot on our mentality,” Erger said. “Before (the Florida) match, we talked about burning the boats. Like we’re going to war and we’re on ships, and we’ve got to go to shore to fight, and we’re going to burn the boats. There’s no second option. We’re going to burn those freaking boats. There’s nothing to do but fight. There’s no cop-out, nothing.”

LEXINGTON, Ky. – South Dakota State volleyball’s Madison Burr and Sylvie Zgonc were named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association All-Northwest Region First Team Tuesday.

Burr was one of the best blockers in the country, as well as one of the most efficient attackers this past season. She ultimately finished the year with 139 blocks (1.34 blocks/set), including 25 solo blocks.

Offensively, the Goodhue, Minn., native totaled 259 kills and a .283 hitting percentage. Burr was named First Team All-Summit and made the Summit League All-Tournament team last month.

Zgonc, a native of Hartford, Wis., ranks 47th nationally in kills (451), 55th in points (4.34), and 39th in total attacks (1,233), while leading the league in kills per set (4.34) and points per set (4.77).

The junior was named the Summit League Player of the Year for the second season in a row and ended the season with 14 double-doubles for SDSU, a 23-5 overall record, and 16-0 mark in conference play.

Burr is the third Jackrabbit in the Division I era to earn an all-region honor, while Zgonc was recognized for the second straight season. Sydni Schetnan was a first-team honoree last season. 

In total, there are 14 first-team All-Region members and an additional group of honorable mention selections for each of the 10 regions. A Player of the Year, Freshman of the Year, and Coach of the Year were selected for every region. The 213 student-athletes who made All-Region represent 109 different schools. Nebraska leads the way with seven All-Region selections, followed by Pittsburgh and Stanford with six apiece. Florida,  Kentucky, Louisville, Minnesota, Texas A&M, and Wisconsin all have five All-Region first-team or honorable mention selections.

-GoJacks.com-

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Colorado volleyball junior pin attacker Ana Burilovic (Split, Croatia) was named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association’s (AVCA) All-West Region First Team on Tuesday, Dec. 9. 
 
Burilovic’s all-region selection marks the program’s 30th postseason regional selection all-time. This is also her second postseason award after being named to the 2025 All-Big 12 First Team last week. The last time Colorado was named to the All-Region First Team was middle blocker Naghede Abu and outside hitter Alexa Smith in 2018. Colorado’s last all-region selection was an honorable mention for middle blocker Meegan Hart in 2020. Colorado’s first appearance on the all-region team was the first team for setter Nicole Vranesh in 1992. 
 
Burilovic leads the Big 12 in points per set (5.47) and kills per set (4.71). She is also third in conference for aces per set (0.43). This is Burilovic’s first all-region selection of her career. In her 32 matches in 2025, she has accumulated 565 kills, 211 digs, 51 aces, 64 blocks and 19 assists. Burilovic has four kill-dig double-doubles on the season, now totaling 10 in her career. She has had 13 matches with 20 or more kills this season (a CU VB record), including two 30+ kill matches against UCF (Oct. 2) and at Northern Colorado (Oct. 28) – she is only the second player in Colorado Volleyball history to have two matches in one season with over 30 kills. On Sept. 30, Burilovic was named AVCA Player of the Week after aiding the Buffs in their road-sweep over then-No.14 BYU, and then-No.23 Utah. She was named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week on Nov. 4, after leading Colorado’s win over Northern Colorado with 30 kills, hitting .329, nine digs, two blocks and one ace (Oct. 28). Burilovic surpassed 1,000 career kills at West Virginia, becoming the 19th Buff to total over 1,000 career kills. She now has 1,061 career kills, 521 career digs, 118 career aces and 116 career blocks.
 
Fourteen student-athletes were selected to the AVCA All-West Region First Team, and six were named Honorable Mention. A full list of the honorees can be found after this release.
 
Under 10th-year head coach Jesse Mahoney, Colorado finished the 2025 season 23-9 and went 12-6 against Big 12 opponents. Coach Mahoney has led the Buffs to a 164-135 record in his 10 seasons at the helm. The Buffs made their 22nd appearance in the NCAA tournament after the conclusion of the regular season, sweeping American in the first round before falling to four-seed Indiana in the second round. The Buffs’ last match against the Hoosiers marks the 12th second round appearance in program history. Colorado has 20 wins this season, marking the program’s 13th 20-win season and its first since 2022. With 23 wins this season, this is the most in a season since 2017 and ties for the third-most wins in a season in program history.
 
For more information on the Colorado volleyball team, please visit cubuffs.com/vb. Fans of the Buffs can follow @cubuffsvb on Instagram, X, and Facebook.
 
 
West Region
1st       Rebekah Allick             University of Nebraska             MB       Sr
1st       Tierney Barlow             Utah State University               MB       Sr
1st       Ana Burilovic               University of Colorado             OH       Jr
1st       Laney Choboy             University of Nebraska             L          Jr
1st       Suli Davis                    Brigham Young University       OH       Fr
1st       Kamryn Gibadlo           University of Utah                    OH       Jr
1st       Andi Jackson               University of Nebraska             MB       Jr
1st       Brielle Kemavor           Brigham Young University       MB       Jr
1st       Kaylie Kofe                  Utah State University               S          So
1st       Annalea Maeder          Creighton University                S          Sr
1st       Ava Martin                   Creighton University                OH       Sr
1st       Harper Murray             University of Nebraska             OH       Jr
1st       Bergen Reilly               University of Nebraska             S          Jr
1st       Kiara Reinhardt           Creighton University                MB       Sr
                                                           
Honorable Mention
HM      Virginia Adriano           University of Nebraska             RS       Fr
HM      Alex Bower                  Brigham Young University       S          So
HM      Loryn Helgesen           Utah State University               RS       So
HM      Taylor Landfair             University of Nebraska             OH       Sr
HM      Claire Little Chambers Brigham Young University       OH       Jr
HM      Avery Page                  Utah Valley University             OH       Sr
                                                           
West Region Award Winners
Region Player of the Year: Bergen Reilly, University of Nebraska, S, Jr
Region Freshman of the Year: Suli Davis, Brigham Young University, OH
Region Coach of the Year: Dani Busboom Kelly, University of Nebraska
 
 

Arizona State and Kansas advanced to the Regional Semifinal round of the 2025 NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship. This is the fifth time in the last seven years that the Big 12 has sent at least two programs to the Sweet 16 and the first time since 2022. Additionally, the Big 12 finished with eight wins in the first round, the most in Conference history, surpassing the previous high of six (2004, 2006, 2023).
 
No. 2 seed Arizona State defeated Coppin State and Utah State to make its fourth trip to the regional semifinals in program history, and the second time in the last three years. The Sun Devils improved to 28-3 on the year, the second-most wins in school history. This marks the first time in the NCAA era that Arizona State has finished the year undefeated at home and the second time in Arizona State history. The 2025 Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, Noemie Glover, recorded 17 kills, the second-most for the Sun Devils behind only Bailey Miller (18 kills). Arizona State will next play No. 3 seed Creighton on Thursday, Dec. 11 at Noon CT/11 a.m. MST.
 
No. 4 seed Kansas will play in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2021, and the fourth time in program history after two wins at Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena. The Jayhawks swept High Point (3-0) before taking down No. 5 seed Miami (3-1) behind seniors Rhian Swanson and Katie Dalton. Swanson increased her season total to 19 games with double-digit kills, while Dalton added 59 assists across the two matches. Kansas will play top-seeded Nebraska on Friday, Dec. 12 at 8:30 p.m. CT.
 

The 2025 NCAA volleyball tournament is down to its final 16 teams. But countless pressing questions remain as the tournament makes its way to the final four in Kansas City. Can Nebraska, the No. 1 overall seed, finish undefeated and claim the program’s sixth national title? Can Pitt advance to its fifth straight final four appearance? Will SEC champion Kentucky return to the final four for the first time since winning its first national championship in 2020? Is a young Texas team ready to cash in ahead of schedule?

Here are the 10 (OK, 11) players who will have a major say in answering those questions and more.

Olivia Babcock, Pitt: If the volleyball gods could issue a warning for the NCAA tournament’s stretch run, it would read something like this: “Do not take your eyes off Olivia Babcock, or else…” Arguably the most dynamic player in the college game, the 6-foot-4 Babcock averages 5.9 points per set and 5.1 kills per set for a team that is looking to return to the final four for the fifth straight time. The ACC Player of the Year had more than 40 kills in two matches this season from her opposite hitter position. With springy legs and a powerful arm from the front row, back row and behind the service line, Babcock, the 2024 AVCA Player of the Year, is magic in motion. Look away at your own risk.

Ella Swindle, Texas: Surrounded by strangers at the start of the season, the Longhorns’ junior setter holds the key to the powerful Texas attack. The 6-foot-3 Swindle led Texas to the national title in 2023 but then played a backup role a year ago when Texas fell to Creighton in the regional semifinals. This year, she has 898 assists — mostly to hitters she had never played with before the season. Texas’ top three hitters are Pitt transfer Torrey Stafford (488 kills) and freshmen Cari Spears (338 kills) and Abby Vander Wal (268 kills), and Swindle has the offense hitting at a .316 clip, tied for third-best in the nation.

Rebekah Allick, Nebraska: The top-seeded Cornhuskers take the court with a pick-your-poison approach. Every attacker around Big Ten Player and Setter of the Year Bergen Reilly can terminate (see: Andi Jackson, Taylor Landfair, Harper Murray). Every defender on the court can dig (see: Laney Choboy, Olivia Mauch, Teraya Sigler). On volleyball’s balanced behemoth, Allick stands out for her passion. Make no mistake: Allick, a 6-foot-4 senior middle blocker, is having the best statistical season of her career, hitting .437 (eighth-best in the country but seven slots below fellow middle blocker Jackson) with 235 kills. But nothing fires up the No. 1 overall seed more than an Allick roar after a stuffed block or a kill on an opponent’s overpass. The Huskers will be tested. And when they are, they’ll turn to Allick for inspiration.

Brookeva DeHudson, Kentucky: Don’t google her. It’s impossible to pick one Kentucky superstar outside hitter over the other. Brooklyn DeLeye and Eva Hudson are both that good, so we merged them into one spot. DeLeye was the SEC Player of the Year in 2024. Hudson, in her first year with the Wildcats after transferring from Purdue, is the SEC Player of the Year in 2025. The 6-foot-2 DeLeye has 495 kills on the season and averages 4.7 per set. The 6-foot-1 Hudson has 482 kills and averages 4.6 per set. Slow down one? Maybe. Stop both? Nearly impossible. Together they are the most lethal pair of pin hitters in the tournament and the engine driving Kentucky toward a shot at a second national title.

Chloe Chicoine, Louisville: Now we come upon the rarest of all sightings in the latter half of the NCAA tournament: a 5-foot-10 outside hitter. Chicoine, a transfer-portal addition to the reigning national runners-up, brings her impressive vertical leap and feisty play from Purdue to Louisville. She comes into the regional semifinals with her arm blazing. Chicoine crushed a season-high 28 kills in a five-set win over Marquette in the second round. She leads the balanced Cardinals with 387 kills and is second in digs with 332.

Mimi Colyer, Wisconsin: Two words: Instant. Offense. The 6-foot-3 senior outside hitter and Oregon transfer was a unanimous all-Big Ten selection in her first season with the Badgers. How could she not be? Colyer averages 5.32 kills per set, tops among players remaining in the tournament, and hits .340. She spent her free time getting 220 digs and 67 blocks. With setter extraordinaire Charlie Fuerbringer healthy and back on the court, the Badgers bring an offense that can pose problems for anyone and everyone.

Averi Carlson, SMU: The 5-foot-11 setter started for two seasons at Baylor, then started at Texas, then led the U.S. U23 national team to gold at the Pan American Cup, and now she orchestrates a high-powered Mustangs attack. The ACC Setter of the Year runs an offense that hits .316, tied for third-best (with Texas) in the country. She has developed a quick and lethal connection with fellow transfer Malaya Jones (503 kills) from Colorado State. She also puts up a strong block, with 85 on the season.

Noemie Glover, Arizona State: Since transferring from Oregon before the season, the Sun Devils’ opposite hitter has had exactly one match in which she didn’t produce double-digit kills — but even in that match she hit .444. The 6-foot-2 Glover has 406 kills, 108 blocks and 80 digs. Fun fact: Her dad, La’Roi Glover, played 13 seasons in the NFL and was a six-time Pro Bowler.

Elia Rubin, Stanford: The senior and four-year Cardinal starter has become synonymous with Stanford volleyball over the past four seasons. She brings a host of awards — AVCA All-America, All-ACC, All-Pac 12 — and 1,607 career kills into the regional semifinals. This season, she leads the second-seeded Cardinal in kills (378) and aces (45) and is second in digs (296). About the only thing Rubin hasn’t done in her Stanford career is play in the final four.

Logan Lednicky, Texas A&M: The 6-foot-3 senior opposite hitter is as steady as they come. She has been killing it for the Aggies for four straight seasons, and she’s poised to go out with a bang in her final NCAA tournament run. Through her first two tournament games, she has 39 kills on a .429 percentage and is averaging 6.21 points per set. The AVCA Player of the Year semifinalist plays some mean defense too — she has 83 blocks and 275 digs this season, both second-most among the Aggies.