Beach volleyball to start season just outside the NAIA top 10

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The 2026 season kicks off in just a few days for the Loyola Wolf Pack beach volleyball team, but some schools began their campaigns within the last few weeks. The NAIA released its first Beach Volleyball Top 10 Rating of the 2026 season on Wednesday, with Loyola still landing just outside the top 10 in the national rankings. 

There are still two Sun Conference teams in the top 10, with Mobile moving up to No. 6 after a 2-2 start to the season and Webber International moving back to No. 8 after starting 0-2. 

[Full NAIA Top 10 Rating]

The Wolf Pack beach team is set to play four matches in Montgomery this weekend at NCAA Division-III Huntingdon College's Beach Bash. Loyola will face host Huntingdon and Stevenson University Friday morning, then Berry College and LaGrange College on Saturday. 

Loyola is looking to follow up a historic 2025 with another successful season in 2026 under first-year head coach Jenna Ibieta. The Pack went 14-7, 9-3 in conference play, with a semifinal finish at the Sun Conference Championship, and most of last year's team is back. 

Graduate student Amaya Bazemore is among the nine players returning from the 2025 squad, along with seniors Kiarelis Martinez, Kala Emanuelli, Madeline Corrall, Juliet Petruzelli, and Samantha Guillotte,  juniors Isabella Rodrigue and Belén Puche Laguna, and sophomore Mary Dinegar. 

Loyola also is getting a boost from its indoor volleyball team, with freshmen Zoe Barnes, Lola Blancher, Isis Harink, and Gabrielle Casino joining, as well as sophomore Clarissa Dupree and juniors Alexa Palmer and Ellie Connor.

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