After making the semifinals for the first time in program history, Texas beach volleyball will start its fall season this Friday at home against the TCU Horned Frogs at Wright-Whitaker Sports Complex.
The last time the Longhorns and the Horned Frogs met was a year ago at home, when Texas pair sophomore Lily Dee Davis and then-senior Katie Hashman took home the gold. Texas also had pairs take home third and sixth place. Meanwhile, the Horned Frogs had pairs that took home second, fourth and fifth place, one more pair than the Longhorns.
After TCU, Texas will travel to compete at Manhattan Beach, California, for the Sand Court Experts West Coast Championships from Oct. 9-11. The tournament field has not been finalized, but will be as the event approaches. Past programs that have competed include UCLA, University of Southern California, Loyola Marymount University, and Arizona State University, among others. The highest finish a Texas pair earned last year was 17th place.
After a short break, the Longhorns and Horned Frogs will meet again, but this time at TCU from Nov. 6-7. While some of the Longhorns compete in Dallas, selected pairs will battle in Huntsville, Alabama, for the American Volleyball Coaches Association Pairs National Championships from Nov. 6-8 against programs nationwide. Pairs must earn a bid to be selected for this tournament.
Since the Longhorns finished well at last year’s NCAA championships, a few Texas pairs have received an automatic bid to compete at the AVCA Pairs National Championship, though the pairs haven’t been announced yet. Pairs that haven’t received a bid could earn one through a wildcard selection-at-large bid, but they must pick up high-ranked wins to boost their ranking.
As the season begins, the Longhorns also have new additions to their roster. A few freshmen to watch this fall are Ella Grimes, LeAnn Wise, and Bella Scherfenberg. All three made podium finishes at the 2026 Association of Volleyball Professionals Junior National Championships at Hermosa Beach Pier in California. In addition, both Grimes and Wise were recently named AVCA Junior Beach All-America First Team, the first in program history.
Devin Kahahawai is returning for her fifth year with the Longhorns. Kahahawai made her debut during the spring season after finishing her senior year with Texas volleyball in the fall last year. She ended last season with a 5-2 overall record and is a potential contender to represent the Longhorns at the NCAA championships this season.
Texas finished last season with a program-best 28-7 record. Texas beach volleyball ended its season in the NCAA championship semifinals in May against No. 3 seed UCLA, 3-2, in Gulf Shores, Alabama.
While Texas has not yet finalized the spring 2027 schedule, the spring NCAA championship season typically kicks off in late February and runs through May.
Entering its fourth year, Texas has shown growth in roster depth, performances against established programs and its NCAA championship title run last season. With fresh and returning talent, the Longhorns have a promising season of not just returning to the NCAA championships, but reaching the podium this 2027 season.
