The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB Beach Volleyball Hosts Chattanooga in Fall Home Opener
10/14/2026 1:14:00 PM | Women's Beach Volleyball
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The UAB beach volleyball team returns to Blazer Beach on Saturday, Oct. 17, for its first home competition of the fall season, hosting Chattanooga from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The fall competition marks the beginning of a new era for the Blazers under first-year head coach Dylynn Miller, who takes over a program coming off the most successful season in school history.
UAB finished the 2026 spring season with a program-record 26 victories, posting a 26-11 overall record and a perfect 5-0 mark in Conference USA play. The Blazers established a school record with a 16-match winning streak, recorded victories over nationally ranked Washington and South Carolina and advanced to the semifinals of the Conference USA Championship.
Miller, who was elevated to head coach in June following the departure of Delaney Rose, is no stranger to the program's recent success. A former UAB beach volleyball student-athlete, Miller spent the previous three seasons as an assistant coach and helped guide the Blazers to three consecutive school-record win totals. She was also recognized as a 2024 AVCA Thirty Under 30 Award recipient.
The Blazers return 11 players from last season's record-setting squad, including several who played key roles in the team's success.
Junior Claudia Stockard headlines the returning group after posting a 25-11 individual record last spring, including an 18-5 mark on Court 4. Senior Isabel Day returns following a 20-win campaign, while senior Sadie Sharpe (16-8) and Ashley Torsone (16-13) also bring significant experience to the lineup.
Stockard and Day combined for a 15-2 record as a pair last season, while Sharpe and Torsone went 13-3 together on Court 5.
Other returning players include Pien Grooters, Delaney Rich, Addison Atkins, Alexa Smith, Sarah Smith, Lauren Cairo and Virginia Voitier.
UAB will look to replace one of the most accomplished tandems in program history following the graduation of Jasmine "Jazzie" Haas and Olivia Stant. The duo earned second-team AVCA All-America honors in 2026, becoming the first All-Americans in program history. They finished the season with a school-record 29 victories as a pair, all on Court 1. Haas concluded her career as UAB's all-time wins leader with 96 victories, while Stant ranks second in school history with 83.
The Blazers welcome four newcomers this fall, including transfers Emma Hannagan and Reece Winkcompleck. Hannagan, a native of Warrnambool, Australia, joins UAB from Palm Beach State College, while Winkcompleck, a native of Austin, Texas, arrives after spending time at Arizona.
The incoming freshman class features Allie Hepworth of Gulf Breeze, Florida, and Isabel Davidian of Raleigh, North Carolina.
"We're really excited about this fall and the opportunity to get back out and compete," said UAB head coach Dylynn Miller. "This group has put in a tremendous amount of work since arriving on campus, and I've been really impressed with their energy, commitment and willingness to get better every day. We have a great core of returning players who bring valuable experience and leadership, along with an exciting group of newcomers who have already made an impact. It's been fun watching this team come together, and we're looking forward to seeing that hard work translate into competition on Saturday."
Miller's coaching staff also features the addition of assistant coach Liv Unnasch, a former Division I beach volleyball student-athlete who competed at Grand Canyon and Stephen F. Austin. Unnasch spent three seasons as a starter at Grand Canyon before helping establish the beach volleyball program at Stephen F. Austin. She also brings coaching experience from 692 Beach in Texas, where she served as Futures Program Director and worked with developing beach volleyball athletes. Former UAB student-athlete Ali O'Donnell also returns to the coaching staff.
Saturday's competition against Chattanooga will provide the Blazers an opportunity to evaluate new pairings and continue their preparations for the 2027 spring season.
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