JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (April 19, 2026) – The University of North Alabama beach volleyball team was announced as the fourth seed in the 2026 Atlantic Sun Conference Beach Volleyball Championships by the league office Sunday morning.
The Lions will travel to nearby Huntsville, Ala. for the postseason conference tournament at John Hunt Park. North Alabama opens the championships with a first-round bout against No. 5 Jacksonville on Wednesday, April 22 at 11 a.m.
North Alabama preps for the tournament with a top-four seed, looking to contend for the title. The Lions look to build on a two-win performance from 2025 tournament after claiming two wins against Jacksonville and EKU. UNA fell one round short of advancing to the championship round after falling to FGCU.
North Alabama finished the 2026 regular season with a 21-12 record, marking the third time in program history finishing with 20 or more wins. The Lions set the program record with a 22-13 record in 2024 while securing a 20-16 record in 2023. UNA additionally finished with a 6-2 ASUN record and a 7-0 home record.
The season was highlighted by eight sweeps over opponents this season, including Austin Peay (three times), Southeastern Louisiana, Spring Hill College, EKU, Tusculum and Central Arkansas. UNA had two five-dual winning streaks on March 27 - April 3 (Spring Hill College, EKU, Tusculum, Austin Peay and Georgia State) and April 11-17 (Berry College, UT Martin, Missouri State, Central Arkansas and Southeastern Louisiana).
The Lions had three solid non-conference wins this season against UAB, Georgia State and Missouri State.
UNA claimed its second-ever victory over UAB with a 3-2 win on Feb. 21. North Alabama also secured its first-ever win over Georgia State in a 3-2 victory on April 3. Both teams were receiving votes in in the American Volleyball Coaches Association Coaches Poll at the time.
On April 16 against Missouri State, UNA earned a 4-1 win on Senior Day. Entering the matchup, Missouri State was 21-3, leading Conference USA and had a six-dual winning streak.
North Alabama is led by senior Selma Robinson and graduate Audrey Gauthier, who have been a force from the top flight with a 22-8 record. The duo leads the team in pair victories, and the two rank top two individually in season wins. Robinson has the team high with 24 while Gauthier is tied for second with 22.
Graduate Sarah Larkin Lewis and sophomore Paige Griner rank second on the team with 19 victories as a pair. Individually, Lewis and Griner have 20 wins – one of six UNA players with 20 or more individual wins. The two also have a ranked win this season after picking up a victory against #20 South Carolina on March 20.
Sophomores Jennah Atchley and Brooke Bolden are thriving from the third flight, ranking third on the team with a 13-7 record. The pair were also named the Atlantic Sun Conference Beach Volleyball Pair of the Week on Tuesday, April 7. They became the third different pair in program history to take home the honor and the first in nearly two seasons.
UNA has a solid veteran presence with senior Hailey Benesz, junior Lucy Wedding and sophomore Mabrey Whitehead. Wedding has provided steady results with 15 wins this campaign while Benesz has chipped in 11 wins. Whitehead has produced in limited action, adding nine victories.
Freshmen Emma White and Gaby Harnden have been impacting first-year players and look to do the same in the postseason. White has 11 wins on the year, and Harnden has also been solid with nine victories.
To view the full tournament bracket, click here.
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
