LAKE CHARLES, La. – The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi beach volleyball team will look to continue its historical run into the 2024 season, beginning this weekend at the Cowgirl Beach Bash, hosted by first-year program McNeese.
Additionally, the Southland Conference announced that the Islanders were picked to win the league once again after winning the inaugural regular season championship in 2023 and going back-to-back as SLC Tournament Champions.
The Islanders will initiate that journey to repeat with a 9 a.m. match against Nicholls before playing McNeese at 1 p.m. on Friday. A&M-Corpus Christi will then play the same schedule Saturday, switching its opponents for Cal Poly and Tarleton State to close out opening weekend.
Achieving unprecedented success in the last two seasons, the Islanders will seek history once again as they begin their 2024 campaign under the direction of head coach
Gayle Stammer who enters her seventh year at the helm.
Stammer led the Islanders to back-to-back SLC Tournament titles in 2022 and 2023 to advance to the NCAA Tournament two years in a row, a program first. It came after winning the inaugural regular season championship where the Islanders were a perfect 6-0 against SLC opponents.
Not only did the team advance to the NCAA Tournament, but they also won in a 3-0 sweep over UT-Martin in the opening round to post the first postseason win in program history. The Islanders are the only Southland team to win at the NCAA Tournament. It helped capped a 25-10 season, the best record in program history with the 25 wins being the most in a single season.
From that championship squad, the Islanders return the reigning SLC Newcomer of the Year
Chloe Tome who returns for her final year. Last year, she also earned a spot on the All-Conference Second Team after going 17-12 in the regular season at court two with partner
Kristin Bobay who also returns as the reigning SLC Freshman of the Year.
The Islanders will also look to a studded newcomer class to build upon the program success, including graduate transfer
Stephanie Young who spent the last four seasons at national-ranked Florida Atlantic.
Tome and Young were named SLC "Players to Watch" ahead of the season, as well as transfer
Madison Morrow and freshman
Cassie Dodd.
Under Stammer, the Islanders have never lost a regular season dual against a Southland opponent, hoisting a perfect 24-0 record. They haven't lost any match to an SLC team since 2021.
The Islanders will be entering the season having received 10 votes in the AVCA Preseason Poll.
Click here to read the full Southland Conference preseason release.
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