For the 2018-19 season, Division II’s Tusculum adds women’s beach volleyball to their intercollegiate slate. The addition of beach volleyball will be the 21st sport for Tusculum.
Still a year out, the program will begin their inaugural season in the spring of 2019, with an anticipated roster size of 14 student-athletes. During their first season, Tusculum will participate as an independent and join two other Tennessee schools in the addition of beach volleyball – Carson-Newman and Lincoln Memorial.
Beach volleyball has been on the rise in the NCAA with the sport still being relatively new as 2018 will be the third year that the NCAA has sponsored the sport. Currently, there are now 69 colleges and universities that sponsor women’s beach volleyball. In both of the first two seasons, USC has claimed the title. The AVCA also held a competition starting in 2012 through 2016 when the NCAA picked it up as a sport.
“The emergence of beach volleyball in the NCAA has opened up a wide array of opportunities for current and future student-athletes. The sport continues to grow at a very rapid rate and we are very proud to be a part of it,” said vice president of student success and athletics Doug Jones.
The indoor program’s assistant coach, Ashton Hippenstiel, who has been with the team the past three season will take control of the beach program as head coach. The indoor head coach, Michael Robinson, will serve as the assistant beach coach.
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