South Carolina’s beach volleyball team will begin its 2026 spring season at the Dolphin Duals tournament in Jacksonville, Florida. The Gamecocks are scheduled to play four matches over two days, starting with No. 17 North Florida and Florida Gulf Coast on Friday, followed by Jacksonville and No. 14 Stetson on Saturday.
This season brings significant changes for the program. Jose Loiola starts his first year as head coach after previously working as an assistant coach at UCLA. In 2025, Loiola was named the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Collegiate Beach Assistant Coach of the Year following UCLA’s successful regular season and NCAA tournament run. South Carolina is also competing in its first year as a member of the Big 12 Conference after joining alongside Boise State and Florida State.
The Gamecocks ended their previous season with a 9-12 overall record and went winless in conference play. Twelve players from last year’s roster return, joined by six newcomers including four transfers and two freshmen. Senior Sadie Nelson posted an 11-10 record last season, while junior Evie Ziffer had a 10-8 mark and was particularly effective when paired with senior VB Trost.
Among the new additions is sophomore transfer Brooke Balue, who played her freshman year at Washington and contributed to UW’s first NCAA Championships appearance with a 17-14 dual match record. Other transfers include Annalyse Askew from Arizona State, Grace Travis from Saint Mary’s, and Amelia Taft from LSU.
“The former Olympic standout enters his first season in Columbia after previously serving as an assistant coach at UCLA,” according to the team statement.
“In the spring of 2025, Loiola was recognized as the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Collegiate Beach Assistant Coach of the Year after UCLA went 30-6 in the regular season and earned the top seed in the NCAA tournament, advancing to the national semifinal,” said officials.
South Carolina joins other Big 12 members such as Arizona, Arizona State, TCU, Boise State, and Florida State this year after leaving their previous conference affiliation.
