ATLANTA, Ga. (October 4, 2026) – The University of North Alabama beach volleyball team concluded its first fall event this weekend at Atlanta Beach in a pairs one-day event in Atlanta, Ga.
The Lions opened the fall season with round-robin competition against the Chattanooga Mocs. The teams played three rounds, with UNA winning 11 out of 19 matches and each Lion earning at least one win.
Round one brought eight matches with the Lions winning six of those. Junior Paige Griner and sophomore Karsyn Griffin paired for a win, while junior Izzy Coplan and sophomore Kiana Adamson paired for two wins. Junior Brooke Bolden and freshman Nadia Prieditis were another pair to bring in a win. Sophomore Emma White and freshman Claire Wyma paired for another win, as did senior Amelia Tomlinson and sophomore Gaby Harnden.
In the second round, the pairs were slightly different. Bringing in wins this round was Griner and sophomore Mabrey Whitehead, Tomlinson and senior Hope Dicken and Coplan and freshman Emersyn Weaver.
The third round was short but still saw victory. The winning pairs were Griner and freshman Ella Lomax and White and Wyma.
"I am very proud of how this team competed, especially since our team dynamic looks different than years past," said head coach Mackenzie Velazco. "Having girls step into new roles they've never had to before, compete at pairs they've never had to and rising to the challenge was the biggest thing I took away from this weekend, whether that was playing a different position they've not been training for, mixing up pairs mid-day or fighting through adversity in tough third sets. It has been awesome to see the girls trust the process and knowing we are in a great spot to start off our fall season and can really take the time moving forward to fine tune our game."
Velazco goes on to highlight leadership from key returners.
"With many instances, we had returning players like Paige, Mabrey, Emma and Brooke step into leadership roles with players that were either playing their first collegiate matches, or athletes stepping into key pairs in the lineup. Seeing the girls compete humbly with grit and willingness to grow through the pretty and the ugly is exciting for the next upcoming weeks."
The next fall event is an AVCA qualifier on Oct. 11-12 in Fort Walton Beach, Fla. at Riptide Beach Volleyball Club.
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
