Having left an historic mark on the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi volleyball team as a student-athlete, Kyndal Payne returned to the program on the coaching staff as the new assistant coach in February 2026.
 
Payne left the Island after making arguably untouchable history on the Islanders Volleyball program as the first-ever two-time AVCA All-American and just second three-time AVCA All-Region honoree. She concluded her career on the biggest stage as the Islanders took on No. 3 Texas in the NCAA First Round after she helped the Islanders punch their ticket back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since her freshman season (2021).

Overall, Payne helped the program to three Southland Conference Championships and two trips to the NCAA Tournament, and was named the SLC Player of the Year in both 2022 and 2023. 
 
She finished her time with the Islanders ranked first in program history in career kills (1,658) and total attacks (4,209), second in kills per set (3.80) and solo blocks (96), sixth in digs (1,132) and eighth in total blocks (192). Payne is also the only player in program history to record both over 1,500 kills and 1,000 digs.
 
Upon graduating from the program, Payne extended her volleyball career into the professional realm after signing a contract with Pölkky Kuusamo in Finland. After a year of professional ball, she returns to her alma mater to help the Islanders this time in a coaching capacity.
 
She is not the first former Islander to return as a coach, as Julia Carter also came back to the Island to coach after her playing experience under head coach Steve Greene as well.

AS A STUDENT-ATHLETE

2024 SLC First Team All-Conference
2024 SLC All-Tournament Team
2024 SLC All-Conference First-Team
2024 2x SLC Offensive Player of the Week (Oct. 7, Oct. 21)
2024 AVCA All-Region Honoree
2024 CSC Academic All-District
2024 CSC Academic All-America Finalist
2024 SLC All-Academic First Team
2023 AVCA All-America Honorable Mention
2023 AVCA All-Region Honorable Mention
2023 SLC Player of the Year
2023 SLC All-Conference First-Team
2023 SLC All-Academic First-Team
2023 SLC 3x Offensive Player of the Week (Oct. 2, Oct. 30, Nov. 13)
2022 AVCA All-America Honorable Mention
2022 AVCA All-Region Honorable Mention
2022 SLC Player of the Year
2022 SLC All-Conference First Team
2022 SLC All-Academic First-Team
2021 SLC All-Conference Second-Team
2021 SLC All-Tournament Team
2021 Islander Classic All-Tournament Team

2024 (Sr.): Concluded her Islander career in grand fashion as the most decorated athlete to come through the program… helped the Islanders win the SLC Tournament and punch their ticket to the NCAA Tournament... named to SLC All-Conference First-Team... led the team offensively all season with a total of 416 kills and a .265 hitting percentage… boasted 3.85 kills per set… surpassed the program record for career kills with an end of career total of 1,666… also recorded over 1,000 digs with a career total of 1,138… recorded 10+ kills in 24 of the Islanders’ 31 matches this season with four of those matches totaling over 20… also tallied 46 blocks and 27 service aces through the season… led the Islander offensive in their efforts to overcome undefeated Southeastern in the SLC Conference Championship… concluded her season signing to play professionally overseas for Finland’s Pölkky Kuusamo.

2023 (Jr.): Continued to etch herself into Islanders history following another peak season... became the first player in program history to earn two AVCA All-America Honorable Mentions... completed the feat of repeating every award she won in 2022, going back-to-back seasons in earning AVCA All-Region honorable mention, SLC Player of the Year, SLC All-Conference First-Team, and SLC All-Academic First-Team... led the league in kills per set with a 4.32 average... led all outside hitters in the conference with a .312 hitting percentage as the only one out of the positional group to hit over .300... was the only player in the league to average over 4.0 kills per set combined with over 3.0 digs per set... registered eight double-doubles against conference opponents and notched double figure kills in 11 conference matches while recording at least 20 in three of them... improved on her career kill per set average from a 3.69 to a 3.78 following the season, helping her stay second all-time in the program record book, behind Emma Ridley's (09-10) 4.13 mark... turned in 427 kills this year which ranks fourth in the single-season program record but adds to her career total of 1,250 which ranks her second all-time.

2022 (So.): Bulked up the resume after a breakout sophomore season... became the third All-American in program history... earned All-Region honors... named SLC Player of the Year after leading the league in kills pet set (4.91) and points per set (5.39)... honored on All-Academic First-Team after hoisting a 3.88 GPA in her biomedical sciences program... led the team's offense with 479 kills on the year which broke the program's single season record... broke the program's record for most kills in a match with 28 at Northwestern State... was the match-leader in kills in every conference matchup... slammed 20+ kills in six matches and 10+ in 24... reached double figure kills in all conference matches to end the year on a 19-match streak of spiking at least 10 kills... notched 15 double-doubles on the season... second on the team in digs with 325 total and 2.69 per set... picked up 10+ digs in 18 matches... tallied her season-high 18 digs in matches against Sam Houston and CSUN... third on the team in blocks (52) but first in solo blocks (25)... had 13 aces on the year... played in all 33 matches and only student-athlete to play all 121 sets

2021 (Fr.): Earned a spot on the All-Conference Second-Team after finishing second in the SLC in kills per set (3.62) and top-10 in hitting percentage (.271)… ranked No. 1 in the league in passing for outside hitters in volleymetrics passing percentage… the team's leading attacker with 170 kills in conference… registered double-doubles against HBU twice and at Northwestern State… tallied a team-high 12 kills in the NCAA Tournament against Baylor… honored on the SLC All-Tournament Team after spiking 10 kills in the semifinals against UIW and 16 in the championship vs. McNeese… reached double-figures in kills 22 times including in each of the last five matches… slammed a season-high 18 kills in four-setters against Nicholls and HBU… tabbed to the Islander Classic All-Tournament Team after notching 15 kills against Texas State, 13 against UTEP and 15 against Tarleton… hit for a season-high .458 mark in a regular season meeting against UIW where she had 13 kills and two errors on 24 attacks… season-high 16 kills in both regular season matches against HBU… played in all 29 matches and in 102 of 103 sets... named the 2021-22 Female Rookie of the Year at the Islanders Blue Carpet awards banquet

High School
A three-time All-District First-Team selection and three-time Offensive MVP in 2018, 2019, 2020 at V.R. Eaton HS... earned TGCA All-State honors in 2020... guided the team to the district championship in 2020 and 6A Regional Finals that same year... 2020 Under Armor volleyball All-American, 2020 District Hitter of the Year, Fort Worth Star-Telegram 2020 Volleyball Player of the Year and Female Athlete of the Year... TGCA Academic All-State... played club with Texas Pistols became and helped the team become six-time National Qualifiers

Personal
Born Oct. 17, 2002... daughter of William and Dorene Payne... both her Dad and eldest sister, Demi, were professional pole vaulters... has three siblings Kaylee, Demi and Luke... her sister Kaylee played three years of volleyball at A&M-Corpus Christi and was on the 2020-21 SLC Championship squad... favorite hobby is ceramics... favorite athlete is Kobe Bryant... majoring in biomedical science