HOUSTON – HCU beach volleyball begins its 2023 campaign this weekend, hosting the Third Coast College Classic on Saturday and Sunday at Third Coast Volleyball Club.
The Huskies are set to face Central Arkansas at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 25, followed by No. 3 TCU at 5:00 p.m. On Sunday, Feb. 26, HCU faces UAB at 12:00 p.m. and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at 4:00 p.m.
HCU boasts 11 returning letterwinners, including the 2022 Southland Conference Freshman of the Year
Abbey Reinard, first team all-conference pair
Shelby O'Neal and
Gabi Axelrod and third team pair
Lindsay Harris and
Kristen Kleymeyer.
The Huskies were picked second in the preseason conference poll, receiving four first-place votes. HCU also received a pair of votes in the AVCA Preseason Coaches Top 20 poll.
Last season, HCU posted a 14-22 record, closing the season with a run to the championship match at the SLC Tournament before ultimately falling to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 3-2.
Central Arkansas is under the guidance of first-year head coach Cassidi Stabile who takes over a program that posted a 17-16 record in 2022. The Bears, members of the ASUN Conference, finished 2-3 in pool play at the 2022 ASUN Championship Tournament. HCU holds a 7-5 all-time record against the Bears and has won six of the last seven meetings.
The Horned Frogs come into the tournament off the best season in program history, finishing with a 39-5 record and winning a pair of matches at the NCAA Championships. TCU features three preseason all-Coastal Collegiate Sports Association players in Daniela Alvarez, Sutton MacTavish and Tania Moreno. The Huskies dropped a pair of matches to the Horned Frogs last season.
UAB is led by Conference USA Preseason Player of the Year Adriana Pereira after the junior won 20 matches at the No. 1 spot last season. The Blazers finished 2022 with a 17-18 overall record, falling in the quarterfinals at the CUSA Championship. HCU is 2-1 all-time against UAB and earned a 3-2 win over the Blazers last season.
Fellow SLC member Texas A&M-Corpus Christi is the defending conference champion and no stranger to the Huskies. The two teams have played 23 times with HCU holding a 13-10 all-time record. The Islanders were picked ahead of the Huskies in the SLC preseason poll, receiving seven first-place votes.
The Huskies head to California next week, facing Loyola Marymount and Pepperdine in Malibu, Calif. on Saturday, Mar. 4, before heading over to Northridge for matches vs. CSU Northridge and new SLC affiliate member Boise State on Sunday, Mar. 5.
