GULF SHORES, Ala. - The Chattanooga Beach Volleyball team has arrived at the National Collegiate Beach Volleyball Championship, and completed a successful morning of practice as it prepares to start play on Friday. In the First Round, the No. 16 seeded Sandy Mocs are paired with No. 1 overall seed, Stanford. First serve from Gulf Shores, Alabama is scheduled for 11 a.m. central/12 p.m. eastern. ESPN2 will have the nationally televised broadcast for UTC fans who cannot attend. ESPN+ will have streams of each duel going on. Those links are copied below.

ESPN Coverage Links
ESPN2 Full Coverage: Watch
ESPN+ Court 1: Watch
ESPN+ Court 2: Watch
ESPN+ Court 3: Watch
ESPN+ Court 4: Watch
ESPN+ Court 5: Watch

NCAA Tournament History
Chattanooga is making its third consecutive and third overall appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The Sandy Mocs are 0-2 all-time in the tournament and are looking to become the first team in OVC history to win a match in the tournament. Chattanooga was defeated by North Florida in 2024 and UCLA in 2025. Chattanooga and Stanford's match on Friday will be the first-ever meeting between the two schools. 

Bracket Talk
The Tournament has 16 teams and is a three-day single-elimination event from May 1-May 3. On Chattanooga's side of the bracket, is No. 8 California and No. 9 Long Beach State. The winner of the Chattanooga and Stanford match will play the winner of the California and Long Beach State match in the Quarterfinals on Saturday at 9 a.m. central/10 a.m. eastern. The Sandy Mocs have played two teams this year in the NCAA Tournament, falling to both No. 13 Texas A&M Corpus-Christi (2-3), and No. 15 Georgia State (0-5). 

Scouting Chattanooga
The Sandy Mocs are 24-4 on the year and coming off a perfect 3-0 weekend to complete the OVC Regular Season and Tournament Championship double. It's the third year in a row that UTC has won both. During the Tournament, Chattanooga defeated Morehead State and Lindenwood (2x). In the Semifinals against Lindenwood, the Sandy Mocs overcame a 2-1 deficit behind late wins from their top two pairs. UTC played Lindenwood again the next day in the Championship match and it was a different story, with the Blue and Gold earning a 3-0 sweep win. Going into the NCAA Tournament, Chattanooga has won 10 matches in a row, and 24 of its last 25 matches. 

All 10 starters for Chattanooga, made the cut for All-OVC when the teams were announced last week. Additionally, McKenna Faychak was crowned OVC Player of the Year and alongside partner Maddie Lecik, named OVC Pair of the Year. Additionally, for the third year in a row, Chattanooga's staff of Darin Van Horn, Juliana Van Horn, and Paige Gallentine were named OVC Staff of the Year. 

Chattanooga Expected Pair Records
1. Maddie Lecik and McKenna Faychak: 20-5
2. Julia Lawrence and Corina Vale: 20-6
3. Sydney Jackwin and Ansley Gulledge: 21-6
4. Taylor Clark and Ashli McKenny: 25-3 (tied school record for most wins in a season)
5. Ava Goryl and Madeline McCabe: 22-3

Scouting Stanford
Stanford comes to Gulf Shores with a 36-4 record on the year, with its 36 wins totaling more than any other school in the country, and setting a new school record for most in a season. Playing against strong opponents all spring, the Cardinal holds 24 wins over nationally ranked opponents. Most recently at the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championship, Stanford went 2-1 with wins over Washington and then-No. 5 USC before falling to then-No. 1 UCLA in the Semifinals. 

2026 is the sixth year in a row that Stanford has been selected for the NCAA Tournament, where they hold a 3-6 record all-time in the competition. Each of the last three seasons, the Cardinal has advanced to the Quarterfinals of the Tournament, which is the furthest it has ever advanced. This year's side has Kelly Belardi and Avery Jackson on Court 1 while Brooke Rockwell and Ruby Sorra are Stanford's No. 2 pair. Jackson, Rockwell, and Sorra were each All-Americans a season ago. 

Stanford Expected Pair Records
1. Kelly Belardi and Avery Jackson: 17-7
2. Ruby Sorra and Brooke Rockwell: 17-7
3. Charlotta Bell and Logan Tusher: 31-5
4. Indigo Clarke and Clara Stowell: 27-7
5. Elena Fisher and Chloe Hoffman: 30-7

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