Southern Miss Beach Volleyball Opens 2026 Season at Third Coast Challenge

HATTIESBURG, Miss. — Southern Miss beach volleyball kicks off its eighth season with the Third Coast Challenge in Houston, Texas, on February 20-21. The Golden Eagles will face Saint Mary’s, Tarleton State, Cal Poly, and Houston Christian during the two-day event.

The Golden Eagles open against Saint Mary’s on Friday at 10 a.m. Central Time. Saint Mary’s, from Moraga, California, finished last season with a 20-16 record and was ranked third in the West Coast Conference. Head coach Janice Harner has a 51-51 career record, with the team’s star Hannah Couch earning Preseason All-WCC honors.

Later Friday, Southern Miss faces Tarleton State at 4 p.m. CT. The Texans ended last season with a 9-17 record and compete in Conference USA. Head coach Dayna Masters is in her second season leading Tarleton State.

Saturday’s schedule features a match against No. 3 Cal Poly at noon. The Mustangs went 31-8 last season, reaching the NCAA semifinals and earning a preseason No. 3 ranking. Todd Rogers, in his 11th year as head coach, has led Cal Poly to multiple 30-win seasons. Southern Miss is 0-6 all-time against Cal Poly, with the last meeting a 3-0 loss in April 2025 in Austin, Texas.

The Golden Eagles close out the weekend against Houston Christian at 4 p.m. CT. HCU finished last season with a 13-20 record. Southern Miss holds a 2-1 advantage in the all-time series, with their most recent meeting a 3-2 loss in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in April 2025.

Live stats for each dual will be available via Houston Christian’s StatBroadcast links on SouthernMiss.com and usm.statbroadcast.com, according to university sources.

Source: Original Article