The University of North Alabama beach volleyball team opened up their 2026 season with a strong performance at the FSU Unconquered Invitational on Feb. 21-22.
They finished with a 2-1 record on the tournament’s opening day, gaining victories over Cal State Bakersfield and Southeastern Louisiana University.
The Lions beat Southeastern Louisiana in a 5-0 sweep and followed with another strong performance against Bakersfield, winning 4-1. Their only setback of the day came in a matchup against No. 18 ranked Georgia State University, where UNA fought hard but ultimately came up short, ending with a score of 5-0.
The Lions continued the competition on Saturday, picking up a 3-2 win over the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The No. 1 pair, Selma Robinson and Audrey Gauthier, led the lineup and earned a three set victory against UAB.
On court two, Paige Griner and Sarah Larkin Lewis clinched the dual match with a comeback three set win, putting The Lions at a 3-2 victory. On court four, Jennah Atchley and Brooke Bolden had a straight-set victory to give the Lions some momentum. Hailey Benesz and Lucy Wedding competed on court three in each of their duals, while Emma White and Mabrey Whitehead represented UNA on court five.
The Lions recorded a 5-0 sweep over Southeastern Louisiana on opening day and earned a 3-2 win over UAB on day two.
The team later competed against No. 8 Florida State University, who hosted the tournament. Despite falling short of a victory, UNA gained some experience against one of the nation’s top programs.
The team enters the spring coming off an impressive 18-15 overall record in 2025, including a 7-4 Atlantic Sun Conference record.
Beach Volleyball will be taking part in the Tiger Beach Bash in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on Feb. 27 – 28 where the Lions will take on Tulane, Southern Miss, LSU, Houston Christian and Louisiana-Monroe.
