ROCK HILL, S.C. --- The Tusculum University women's beach volleyball team has been voted to finish second in the inaugural South Atlantic Conference Carolinas Coaches' Poll, the league announced today.
Mia Johnson/Hannah Marsh and Brynn Smith/Kyla Oppenhuis were named the Pairs to Watch for TU.
Johnson, a senior from Helena, Alabama, is 4-3 overall in two years of play. She is 2-2 all-time in the AVCA Pairs Challenge at the season-ending annual event.
Marsh, a junior from Gulf Shores, Alabama, is fifth in career individual wins at Tusculum. Earning a 40-18 mark, Marsh is third with a .690 winning percentage over her two years. Her 23 victories in 2024 are tied for 10th most in a TU season, including four over Carson-Newman.
Smith and Oppenhuis played together for the entirety of 2024, racking up a 13-20 record, including a 6-9 mark as the No. 2 flight. Smith is a sophomore from Wellsburg, Iowa, while Oppenhuis is a senior from Crown Point, Indiana. Oppenhuis also played for TU in 2023 and holds a 22-35 record for her stint.
The Pioneers received 51 total points in a vote of the league's six head coaches, including a pair of first-place nods. Carson-Newman was tabbed to win the conference with 54 votes with four first-place tallies. Erskine (44), Emmanuel (42), Catawba (40), and Wingate (39) round out the poll.
Emily Kalmink takes over the reins of the Pioneer program in 2025. She will have 11 returners, one transfer, one freshman, and two additional multi-sport athletes at her disposal. In 2024, the Pioneers finished with a 21-12 mark, including three wins over Division I opponents. TU won its fourth-straight SAC Beach Challenge and earned a seventh-place finish at the AVCA championship event.
Tusculum begins the Kalmink era at a tournament hosted by St. Andrews University. Running from February 21-22, the Pioneers will face Stevenson University, the hosting Knights, and the University of Lynchburg.
The first-ever South Atlantic Conference Beach Volleyball Championship will be held April 11-12. More information will be forthcoming by the league office.
2025 Beach Volleyball Preseason Coaches' Poll
|
Rank |
School (First Place Votes) |
Points |
|
1. |
Carson-Newman (4) |
54 |
|
2. |
Tusculum (2) |
51 |
|
3. |
Erskine |
44 |
|
4. |
Emmanuel |
42 |
|
5. |
Catawba |
40 |
|
6. |
Wingate |
39 |
2025 Beach Volleyball Pairs to Watch
Paige Halcrow and Jenny Ille, Carson-Newman
Mia Johnson and Hannah Marsh, Tusculum
Brynn Smith and Kyla Oppenhuis, Tusculum
Abigail Platt and Paige Knotts, Erskine
MJ Cackett and Lilian Pragle, Erskine
Christina Knotts and Morgan Childress, Catawba
Lilou Thieme and Amelia Talbott, Wingate
