COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (May 16, 2024) – A chance to represent the U.S. at the 2024 FISU World University Championships is on the line this weekend at the U.S. Beach WUCS Collegiate National Team Trials in Manhattan Beach, Calif.
Play begins Friday with the main draw for both men’s and women’s divisions. The semifinals and finals this weekend are Sunday, May 19, and they will be streamed live beginning at 10 a.m. PDT at BallerTV. The first-place pair from each division will earn the right to represent the USA at the World University Championships, Sept. 2-8, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Both the men’s and women’s divisions are filled with athletes who have previously participated in the National Team Development Program or have competed internationally for the United States.
Men
- Ian Carlson (Arizona State) and Thomas Hurst (UC Irvine)
- Hurst was on the 2021 and 2022 Beach U19 National Teams, the 2022 Beach U20 National Team and the 2023 Beach U21 National Team. He has competed four times with the U.S. internationally, most recently finishing ninth at the 2023 Beach U21 World Championship with Gage Basey.
- John Schwengel (Santa Monica College) and Will Rottman (Stanford)
- Schwengel was on the 2021 Beach Collegiate National Team.
- Ayden Keeter (Webber) and Carson Barnes (Webber)
- Keeter and Barnes teamed up for 2023 Beach U21 National Team which competed last year at the Beach U21 World Championships. They also won the men’s division of the 2023 USA Volleyball Beach Collegiate Challenge.
- Zephyr Dew (El Camino College) and Derek Bradford (Santa Monica College)
- Dew and Bradford are both part of the U.S. Beach Development Team and have competed on the Beach Pro Tour.
- Cody Price (Florida) and Logan Mister (Hawaii)
- Price has competed internationally for the U.S. on the Beach Pro Tour.
- Jackson Herbert (George Mason) and Dylan Foreman (UC Santa Cruz)
- Herbert was on the 2022 and 2023 Beach U19 National Teams. He won the 2023 Caribbean Beach Championship with Kai Rodriguez.
- Dylan McClung (Sacred Heart) and Ryan Peluso (Long Beach State)
- McClung was on the 2022 Beach U20 National Team and competed at the 2022 NORCECA Beach U23 Championship. Most recently, he was on the 2023 Beach U21 National Team and was an alternate for the 2023 Beach U21 World Championship.
- Joshua Roper (Grand Canyon) and Kyle Paulson (USC)
- Paulson was on the 2023 Beach U23 National Team.
- Bradford Harman (Long Beach State) and Kai Rodriguez (Hawaii)
- Rodriguez was on the 2023 Beach U19 National Team and won the 2023 Caribbean Beach Championship with Jackson Herbert.
- Geste Bianchi (UCSB) and Ben Pearson (UCSB)
- John Ferraro (Stevenson) and Timothy Flanagan (Stevenson)
- Ferraro was on the 2020 Men’s Beach Collegiate National Team.
- Benjamin Gerdeman (Juniata) and Nate Muttera (SDSU)
- Alex Knight (UCLA) and Cooper Robinson (UCLA)
- Knight was on the 2021 Men’s U21 Indoor National Training Team and the 2020 Men’s Junior National Training Team.
- Kyle Zelasko (Daemen and Zach Schneider (Daemen)
- Quin Zilch (Lewis) and Patrick Rogers (Ball State)
- Rogers was on the 2023 Men’s U21 National Team
- Michael Valenzi (Penn State) and Ryan Merk (Penn State)
- Valenzi has been on the Men’s Beach Collegiate National Team. Merk was on the 2023 Men’s U21 Indoor National Team.
- Benjamin Braun (Long Beach State) and Nathan Harlan (Long Beach State)
- Braun was a member of the 2023 Men’s Beach Collegiate National Team
- Nathaniel Dickinson (Long Beach State) and Dane Hillis (Long Beach State)
- Hillis was on the 2022 and 2023 Men’s U21 Indoor National Teams.
Women
- Devon Newberry (UCLA) and Jaden Whitmarsh (UCLA)
- Newberry was an alternate on the 2019 Beach U21 National Team.
- Peri Brennan (UCLA) and Xolani Hodel (Stanford)
- Brennan and Hodel were on the 2023 Women’s Beach Collegiate National Team. Hodel has also been on the Beach U23 National Team and U.S. Beach Development Team. She’s competed for the U.S. on the Beach Pro Tour.
- Taylor Wilson (Stanford) and Natalie Myszkowski (UCLA)
- Wilson finished ninth at the 2023 Beach U21 World Championship with Samaya Morin.
- Erin Inskeep (Cal Poly) and Clara Stowell (Stanford)
- Ashley Pater (USC) and Madison Goellner (USC)
- Pater was on the 2022 and 2023 Beach U19 National Teams. She won the silver at the 2022 Beach U19 World Championship with Myriah Massey.
- Allison Hansen (FSU) and Piper Ferch (Cal Poly)
- Ferch was on the 2022 Beach U20 National Team.
- Samaya Morin (Arizona State) and Hailey Hamlett (TCU)
- Morin was on the 2023 Beach U19 National Team. She won the silver at the 2022 Beach U19 World Championship with Myriah Massey. Hamlett was on the 2022 Beach U20 National Team.
- Emma Donley (Cal) and Zoey Henson (Washington)
- Brooke Rockwell (Stanford) and Chloe Hoffman (Stanford)
- Portia Sherman (USC) and Jenna Colligan (USC)
- Bailey Showalter (USC) and Chloe Hooker (LMU)
- Showalter finished fourth at the 2022 Beach U19 World Championship with Sophie Kubiak.
- Karynn Garrow (GCU) and Kaileigh Truslow (FSU)
- Gabrielle Bailey (LSU) and Reilly Allred (LSU)
- Kelly Belardi (Stanford) and Madison White (USC)
- White was an alternate for the 2023 Beach U21 World Championship.
- Katherine Phillips (Arizona) and Jessica Horwath (Arizona)
- Ensley Alden (UCLA) and Allyson Alden (Boise State)
- Tessa Van Winkle (UCLA) and Alexandria Young (USC)
- Audrey Koenig (FSU) and Ashley Vincent (Stanford)
- Vincent was on the 2023 Women’s Beach Collegiate National Team.
- Ella Connor (Cal Poly) and Isabella Martinez (Cal Poly)
- Connor was on the 2022 Women’s Beach Collegiate National Team and 2022 Beach U20 National Team.