UAB Beach Volleyball Opens 2026 Season with Experience and Momentum

The Blazers look to build on a record-setting 2025 campaign and take on a challenging schedule packed with ranked opponents.

Published on Feb. 27, 2026

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The UAB Beach Volleyball team is set to kick off its 2026 season this weekend at the Unconquered Invitational in Tallahassee, Florida. The Blazers are coming off a program-record 21-win season in 2025 and received votes in the AVCA Collegiate Beach Preseason Coaches Poll, signaling high expectations for the year ahead. UAB will face a demanding schedule, opening against ranked foes like No. 8 Florida State and No. 18 Georgia State.

Why it matters

The Blazers' challenging 2026 schedule, which features matchups against seven teams ranked in the AVCA preseason top 20, reflects the broader growth and increasing competitiveness of collegiate beach volleyball. As the sport continues to expand, UAB's commitment to competing at the highest level positions the program for potential postseason success.

The details

Leading the charge for UAB are senior duo Jasmine Haas and Olivia Stant, who broke the single-season pair wins record in 2025 and are now close to the all-time pair wins record. Haas is also just four wins away from becoming the program's all-time wins leader. Beyond Haas and Stant, the Blazers return experienced players and have added new talent, including North Alabama transfer Pien Grooters and freshmen Ava Grace Knott, Delaney Rich, and Virginia Voitier.

  • The UAB Beach Volleyball team kicks off its 2026 campaign this weekend at the Unconquered Invitational in Tallahassee, Florida.
  • The Blazers will face No. 8 Florida State on Friday at 8 a.m. CT and No. 18 Georgia State later that day at 4:45 p.m. CT.
  • On Saturday, UAB will take on Cal State Bakersfield at 9:15 a.m. CT and North Alabama at 1 p.m. CT.

The players

Jasmine Haas

A senior who is expected to be a key player for the Blazers. Haas broke the single-season pair wins record in 2025 and is now within striking distance of the all-time pair wins record, trailing Sara Rishell and Rachel Fairbanks by just six wins. Haas is also just four wins away from becoming the program's all-time wins leader.

Olivia Stant

A senior who, along with Jasmine Haas, forms a dynamic duo for the Blazers. Stant and Haas broke the single-season pair wins record in 2025 and are now within striking distance of the all-time pair wins record.

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The takeaway

UAB Beach Volleyball enters the 2026 season with high expectations and a challenging schedule that will test the team's depth and experience. The dynamic duo of Jasmine Haas and Olivia Stant will be crucial to the Blazers' success, as the program looks to build on its record-setting 2025 campaign and make a mark in the increasingly competitive world of collegiate beach volleyball.