Chattanooga beach volleyball wrapped up its 2025 season with the team notching one last accolade to the team’s already lengthy list of accomplishments on the year, as the Sandy Mocs received votes in final AVCA Coaches Poll for the first time in program history, the American Volleyball Coaches Association announced on Tuesday.
The AVCA Collegiate Beach Volleyball Coaches Poll is voted on weekly by a group of 29 coaches representing NCAA institutions and provides the NCAA with its overall rankings throughout the beach volleyball season.
The Mocs, for the first time in the program’s six-season history, saw their name amongst some of the nation’s top beach volleyball programs as UTC raked in a pair of votes from the committee.
“This group is getting the recognition they deserve,” head coach Darin Van Horn said. “Although it feels like there aren’t many ‘firsts’ left, this group just keeps reaching new heights! The way they battled all season, the way they competed on the biggest stages—we had some tough sets against UCLA but a lot of pairs battled and gave themselves a shot.
“We talked about it all week: be fearless and be yourselves and I think they did just that. They should be proud of themselves; I know I am! They represented this program so well and showed the country just what this group has built in Chattanooga.”
This marks the first time since 2023 that an Ohio Valley Conference school has been represented in the AVCA Coaches Poll for beach volleyball.
The Mocs concluded their 2025 campaign having shattered numerous program records, ending the year with a program-best record (26-6) and win percentage (.812) while also taking home the OVC regular season and tournament titles for the second consecutive season.
Chattanooga’s dream season came to an end this past weekend at the NCAA Beach Volleyball Championship in Gulf Shores, Alabama, when the No. 16 seeded Sandy Mocs fell to the top-seeded UCLA Bruins in the tournament’s opening round.