HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (April 21, 2026) – The University of North Alabama beach volleyball team opens the 2026 Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament on Wednesday, April 22 against No. 5-seeded Jacksonville in Huntsville, Ala.
The Lions begins postseason play with the morning matchup against the Dolphins. North Alabama looks to begin their tournament run with a strong start in the first meeting against Jacksonville this season. The Lions and Dolphins face off in the first round, with the winner advancing to the quarterfinals on Wednesday, April 23 to face either No. 1 Stetson or No. 8 Austin Peay.
First serve is set for 11 a.m. The tournament will take place at the John Hunt Park Sand Volleyball Complex. Live stats for the tournament will be provided courtesy of Volleyball Life, with all the matches available for viewing via live steam on ESPN+.
Full results and a recap will be posted on RoarLions.com following each contest, and fans can also follow along on the UNA Beach Volleyball social media pages.
DUAL INFO
Matchup: North Alabama vs. Jacksonville
Wednesday, April 22, 2026
Time: 11 a.m.
Location: Huntsville, Ala.
Venue: John Hunt Park Sand Volleyball Complex
Watch: ESPN+
Live Stats: Volleyball Life
Social Media: Click Here
NOTES
THE 2026 REGULAR SEASON: North Alabama heads into the postseason with a 21-12 overall record while 6-2 against ASUN competition. Last time out, UNA clinched a perfect home record after defeating Missouri State, Central Arkansas and Southeastern Louisiana for Senior Weekend from April 16-17. The Lions enter the postseason with momentum, winning seven of their last 10 duals. North Alabama is on pace to break their single season record in wins, with the current record of 22 wins set in 2024. UNA secured eight sweeps this season over Austin Peay (three times), Southeastern Louisiana, Spring Hill College, EKU, Tusculum and Central Arkansas. Key wins from the campaign include a 3-2 win over UAB on Feb. 21 – the second all-time win over the Blazers in series history. UNA also had a 3-2 victory vs. Georgia State on April 3 – the first all-time win over Georgia State. The Lions ended the regular season with a 4-1 win over Missouri State on April 16. Entering the matchup, Missouri State was 21-3, leading Conference USA and had a six-dual winning streak.
AWARDS GALORE: The 2026 ASUN Postseason Honors were announced by the league on Tuesday, April 21, with the Lions earning eight total awards. Graduate Sarah Larkin Lewis, graduate Audrey Gauthier, senior Selma Robinson, senior Hailey Benesz and junior Lucy Wedding were all selected to the Academic All-ASUN team. The honors set a new program record for the most selections to the conference academic team. Robinson continued with a unanimous First Team All-ASUN selection – the third first team selection of her career. Gauthier secured her first postseason honor with a Second Team All-ASUN selection, and Griner concluded the UNA postseason haul with her first career Second Team All-ASUN nod.
A FIRST FOR EVERYTHING: Gauthier and Robinson were named the ASUN's Pair of the Week by the league office on Tuesday, April 21. The top flight finished a perfect 3-0 for Senior Weekend, leading to the pair's first weekly honor of the campaign. It also marked the first weekly honor for both in their careers.
NUMBERO UNO: Robinson and Gauthier have been a force from the top flight with a 22-8 record. They enter the postseason victorious in eight of their 10 matches while on a current eight-match winning streak. 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.
TERRIFIC TWOS: Lewis and Griner rank second on the team with 19 wins as a pair. The two are one of six Lions with 20 or more individual wins, both totaling 20 on the campaign. The two also have a ranked win this season after picking up a victory against No. 20 South Carolina on March 20.
THE THRIVING THREES: Sophomores Jennah Atchley and Brooke Bolden are thriving from the third flight, ranking third on the team with a 17-7 record. The duo looks to extend its winning ways after winning eight of the last 10. The pair were named the Atlantic Sun Conference Beach Volleyball Pair of the Week on Tuesday, April 7.
VETERAN PRESENCE: Benesz, Wedding, and sophomore Mabrey Whitehead have been key in the Lions' success this season. 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.
NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK: Freshmen Emma White and Gaby Harnden have been impact first-year players for the Lions this season. White has 11 wins on the year, helping hold down the fifth flight with nine. Harnden has also been solid with nine wins with seven coming from flight five.
SCOUTING JACKSONVILLE: Jacksonville enters the tournament with a 15-17 overall record. The Dolphins went 4-4 in home matches with a solid 11-7 record in neutral site action. Jacksonville had six Academic All-ASUN selections along with the conference Scholar Athlete of the Year in Katie Martinez. The Dolphins also had four All-ASUN honors, led by Claire Mrukowski on the first team. The head coach for Jacksonville is Dylan Hough.
SERIES HISTORY VERSUS THE DOLPHINS: North Alabama looks to maintain its perfect record against Jacksonville with an 8-0 series lead. UNA last faced the Dolphins to open the 2025 ASUN Tournament , claiming a 4-1 win on April 24.
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
