CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – Chattanooga Beach Volleyball Head Coach
Darin Van Horn has announced the 2026 schedule for the two-time defending Ohio Valley Conference Champions.
The Sandy Mocs are scheduled to play in six regular season tournaments and a total of 26 matches this spring. The 2026 season is the seventh season of existence of the program.
"It's a new season with plenty of new faces, but also some experienced familiar ones," Van Horn said. "It's an exciting year as many will get new opportunities to compete when the lights are the brightest."
Chattanooga starts its 2026 season, one month from today at the Wheeler Beach Bash, hosted by South Carolina in Columbia. Here it will play four different squads, including Coastal Carolina, Texas A&M – Corpus Christi, South Carolina, and Austin Peay.
"We start the season off with a good measuring stick at South Carolina that will test us in all four matchups," Van Horn said.
The Sandy Mocs then have two weeks off before traveling north to Clarksville, Tennessee to play in the Stache Bash, March 13-14, hosted by Austin Peay. Chattanooga has two matches with Tusculum scheduled that weekend, a matchup with Wingate, and a match with Austin Peay, for the second time this year.
Chattanooga's lone midweek contest for the 2026 season is its OVC opener at UT Martin on March 18. It marks a rematch of last year's OVC Championship.
Chattanooga is hosting the first OVC Weekend this year, which is scheduled for March 27-28. The Sandy Mocs will face off against familiar foes in Tennessee Tech, Lindenwood, Eastern Illinois, and Morehead State. In total, there will be 12 matches played at the UTC Beach Volleyball Facility that weekend.
Moving to the month of April, Chattanooga is back on the road at the Eastern Kentucky Sand Fest, April 3-4. The Sandy Mocs have two matches against Liberty, one match with Eastern Kentucky, and one against Stevenson.
April 10-11 brings Beach Volleyball back to campus, as the Sandy Mocs host the Scenic City Showdown for 12 more matches at the UTC Beach Volleyball Facility. Chattanooga plays in five of those matches, including an OVC battle with UT Martin. The Sandy Mocs' other opponents are Georgia State, North Alabama, Eastern Kentucky, and Berry. Georgia State was an NCAA Tournament team a year ago.
"Our Scenic City Showdown is one of the best all-around matchups we have hosted," Van Horn said. "We have an in-state rival in UT Martin, Georgia State (a top 20 program), UNA and EKU being competitive schools in the region, as well as Berry who is a solid D3 program."
The Sandy Mocs wrap up their regular season April 17-18 at Morehead State for another OVC Weekend. Chattanooga once again will face off against Eastern Illinois, Lindenwood, Tennessee Tech, and Morehead State.
For the postseason, the OVC Championships are April 24-25 at UT Martin while the NCAA Championships are May 1-3 in Gulf Shores, Alabama. The Sandy Mocs are looking to win their third OVC Title and clinch their third NCAA Tournament berth in a row.
"Our conference opponents are getting stronger each year, and we look forward to those challenges as well. There will be a lot of new looks to this season, but this team is ready to compete," Van Horn said.
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