LAKELAND, Fla. – The Florida Southern College beach volleyball team is headed to the AVCA Small College Beach Championships this week, running from Friday to Sunday April 17–19 for the eighth year in a row. The event, which takes place in Gulf Shores, Ala. brings together top beach teams from NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, and the NAIA.
The Moccasins (15-10) are selected as the ninth-seed facing the 17th-seed in Emmanuel (10-23) eighth-seed Spring Hill (9-13) on Friday in pool play. Then turn around face 16th-seed Catawba (8-16) and close out against the top-seed the University of Tampa (19-9) in the final game of pool play before bracket play.
In all, 19 teams will compete in 180 total matches. Team champions will be crowned in each of the three divisions, and there also is a Pairs Challenge event for participating teams.
2026 AVCA Small College Beach Championships
Dates – April 17-19, 2026
Times – Game 1 vs 17-seed Emmanuel | April 17, 12:20 p.m. & Game 2 vs eighth-seed Spring Hill | April 17, 2:30 p.m. &
Game 3 vs 16th-seed Catawba | April 18, 10:10 am & Game 4 vs first-seed Tampa | April 18, 4:40 p.m.
Location – Gulf Shores, Ala.
Championship Info – Free for spectators
Real-time Results -
https://avca.volleyballlife.com/event/36432?tab=information
Championship bracket play will begin on Sunday. The four teams that finish first in each pool will play in the Gold bracket. The four teams finishing second in each pool will compete in the Silver bracket. Teams finishing third in each pool will play in the Bronze bracket. Teams finishing fourth in each pool will compete in the Copper bracket. The three teams that finish fifth in Pools A, B, and C will move to Pool E for consolation pool play Sunday. All teams will play two matches on Sunday. The Division II Champion will be the winner of the Gold bracket.
The schedule on Friday includes a Pairs Challenge consisting of (40) pairs from DII, DIII, and NAIA schools. The Pairs Challenge is for athletes listed as alternates on your roster and not participating in your #1 - #5 flights.
Pool assignments will be randomly drawn on Monday, April 13. There will be (10) pools with (4) pairs in each pool. The pool assignments and schedule will be sent out to all participating coaches after the drawing on April 13. Pool assignments will also be available in Volleyball Life by Wednesday, April 15.
Each pair will play two modified pool play matches on Friday. We do not have enough open court space to play the Pairs Challenge out to an overall champion. Thus, we will have (10) pool winners that will receive an award after the last Pairs Challenge matches are completed. Please see the overall championships schedule for additional details.
"This is my favorite time of year," states head coach
Makena Wilson '20. "I am so excited to see all of the hard work come together at the end. The athletes always do a great job of leaving it all on the sand. This tournament is so fun, the atmosphere, the location, the emotions make this weekend one of the best. I give all the credit to the athletes being ranked in the top 10. Looking forward to competing hard and enjoying the weekend surrounded by great competition and a great team!"
Ninth-Seed Florida Southern Moccasins
The Moccasins entered the second annual Sunshine State Conference postseason tournament as the fourth seed with a 15-8 overall record, but their run was cut short after a pair of narrow 3-2 losses. Despite the early exit, Florida Southern showcased a strong and consistent season, including a seven-match win streak in the middle of the year and a 3-3 record against SSC opponents. The Mocs also extended their dominance over Eckerd, winning both meetings this season by identical 3-2 scores on February 18 and March 20, marking six straight victories over the Tritons.
Florida Southern hosted 12 events at the Judy and Joe P. Ruthven Beach Volleyball Courts, finishing 9-3 at home with wins over Warner and Polk State in the season opener, as well as Ave Maria, St. Johns River, Barry, State College of Florida, Stevenson (twice), Lake Sumter, and Palm Beach State on senior day.
The Mocs found consistency across their lineup, highlighted by
Sydney Melcher and
Ryla Bryant going 15-8 at the top flight.
Hailey Carefoot and
Sarah Idler also posted a 15-8 record while splitting time between courts two and three and riding a five-match win streak.
Lauren Passaglia and
Ella Pringle led the team with a 16-7 record and a six-match win streak, competing across courts two through four.
Following the strong 2026 campaign, Florida Southern earned multiple Sunshine State Conference honors. Carefoot and Idler were named to the All-SSC Second Team after going 16-7 as a pair, consistently delivering in key moments throughout the season. Joining them were Pringle and Passaglia, who earned All-SSC Second Team recognition with a 15-8 record, showcasing strong chemistry against top competition.
Freshman
Ella Pringle was also named SSC Co-Freshman of the Year after an impressive debut season. The DeLand, Florida native compiled a 10-6 record across 16 matches, primarily competing on flight No. 3 (5-2) while also contributing on flight No. 4 (4-2), solidifying her role as a key piece of the Mocs' lineup.
Projected Lineup
- Sydney Melcher / Ryla Bryant
- Ella Pringle/ Lauren Passaglia
- Sarah Idler / Hailey Carefoot
- Victoria Rushing / Aubrey Wieser
- Madden Bingham / Allison Thomas
Challenge Pairs:
- Lily Schlageter / Sophie Harris
- Haven Miscia / Grace Korta
The SSC announced the addition of beach volleyball on December 13th, 2023, and the inaugural season kicked off on February 1st, 2025. Beach volleyball will be the first league sport to award a maiden title since women's lacrosse in 2015.
