BATON ROUGE, La. (Feb. 26, 2026) – The North Alabama beach volleyball team faces its second invitational of the season in the Tiger Beach Challenge from Feb. 27-28 in Baton Rouge, La.
The Lions head to the campus of LSU for a competitive weekend on the sand. Day one on Friday, Feb. 27 begins with North Alabama facing Tulane at 11:45 a.m. followed by Southern Miss at 3:30 p.m. and No. 12 LSU at 7:15 p.m. The Lions are set for day-two bouts vs. Houston Christian at 9:15 a.m. and Louisiana-Monroe at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 28.
All five matches will be livestreamed on LSU's YouTube channel, with links to matches provided closer to the dual's start time. Full results and a recap will be posted on RoarLions.com at the conclusion of each day of the invitational.
DUAL 1
North Alabama vs. Tulane (RV)
Friday, February 27, 2026
11:45 a.m.
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DUAL 2
North Alabama vs. Southern Mississippi
Friday, February 27, 2026
3:30 p.m.
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DUAL 3
North Alabama at #12 LSU
Friday, February 27, 2026
7:15 p.m.
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DUAL 4
North Alabama vs. Houston Christian
Saturday, February 28, 2026
9:15 a.m.
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DUAL 5
North Alabama vs. Louisiana-Monroe
Saturday, February 28, 2026
1:00 p.m.
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SCOUTING THE LIONS: The opening weekend saw North Alabama win three duals at the FSU Unconquered Invitational. They claimed day-one wins over Cal State Bakersfield and Southeastern Louisiana, defeating the Roadrunners, 4-1, while sweeping the Lady Lions, 5-0. Day two saw UNA defeat UAB for the second win in nine series meetings between the two. Senior Selma Robinson and graduate Audrey Gauthier registered three wins on the weekend from the top flight, and the second-flight duo of graduate Sarah Larkin Lewis and sophomore Paige Griner also won three matches. Sophomores Brooke Bolden and Jennah Atchley won three total matches, including two as a pair. The weekend rounded out with a win each from senior Lucy Wedding, senior Hailey Benesz, sophomore Mabrey Whitehead and freshman Emma White.
SCOUTING TULANE: Tulane enters the weekend with a 2-3 record after hosting its season-opening Green Wave Invitational from Feb. 20-21. The Green Wave picked up a 3-2 victory over Oregon and a 5-0 win over New Orleans on the weekend. The top flight of Katie Hansen and Emma Morris along with second-flight duo Skylar Ensign and Molly Trodd lead Tulane with three wins on the season. The Green Wave's head coach is Eyal Zimet.
SERIES HISTORY VERSUS THE GREEN WAVE: North Alabama will be in search of its first win over Tulane in the fifth all-time meeting.
SCOUTING SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI: Southern Mississippi makes the trip to Baton Rouge with a 2-2 record on the year. The Golden Eagles had a season-opening appearance at the Third Coast Challenge from Feb. 20-21, securing a 4-1 victory over Tarleton State and 3-2 win over Houston Christian. Top-flight duo Laurel Dennis and Sadie McAda were victorious in three of the four duals, earning the Sun Belt Conference's Beach Volleyball Pair of the Week. Shawn Taylor is the head coach for Southern Miss.
SERIES HISTORY VERSUS THE GOLDEN EAGLES: The Lions own a 2-0 record over Southern Miss. The last meeting resulted in a 4-1 victory on Feb. 21, 2025.
SCOUTING LSU: No. 12 LSU hosts the weekend's invite with a perfect 5-0 record. The Tigers claimed wins over No. 20 Tulane, South Florida, Oregon, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Spring Hill at the Green Wave Invitational from Feb. 20-21. Bella Lagemann and Zayna Meyer both went 5-0 on the weekend, including going 4-0 as a pair. Russell Brock is the head coach for the Tigers.
SERIES HISTORY VERSUS THE TIGERS: UNA looks to claim its first win over LSU in the sixth meeting all time.
SCOUTING HOUSTON CHRISTIAN: Houston Christian preps for its second weekend in action after debuting at the Third Coast College Classic from Feb. 20-21. The Huskies secured one win of the weekend – a 3-2 triumph over Tarleton State. Second-flight duo Paige Palmer and Hannah Foor lead the team with two victories. Leading the Houston Christian is Cameron Sitler.
SERIES HISTORY VERSUS THE HUSKIES: North Alabama and Houston Christian prep for the third all-time meeting with both teams claiming a win. The Lions have the most recent victory, defeating the Huskies, 4-1, on March 3, 2024.
SCOUTING ULM: ULM sports a 1-3 record on the season after debuting at the Javelina Beach Classic from Feb. 20-21. The team's lone win came in a 3-2 victory over Sam Houston to conclude the weekend. Top-flight pair Avery Hunter and Madeline Marquez are tied with third-flight duo Calli Otjen and Abby Ryno with two wins. Baylee Young is the head coach for ULM.
SERIES HISTORY VERSUS THE WARHAWKS: The Lions hold a 3-1 advantage over the Warhawks in the all-time series. UNA have won three-straight matchups over ULM, including two wins during the 2025 season. They won both matches with a 3-2 score on Feb. 28 and April 12, respectively.
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
