Tarleton welcomes beach volleyball team to sports program

BY COPELAND WELCH / Multimedia Journalist

Tarleton State University has added a much-anticipated beach volleyball team to its athletics program. 

The volleyball team will kick off their season in the early months of 2024 and plan to attend pre-season tournaments before the start of the season. 

The first member of the volleyball team is graduate student Emma Halcomb. She has played volleyball since grade school, making this her 15 year to compete in the sport. Halcomb is optimistic about the upcoming season, she expects there to be lots of growth and progress for the team.  

“It’s going to be exciting to put together a team and have people come out and support and see the sport grow,” Halcomb said. “I think it is awesome that Tarleton is having this team because it is one of the fastest-growing women’s sports, so this is really going to put Tarleton on the map.”

The rules of beach volleyball differ greatly from traditional volleyball, with the main difference being that beach volleyball is two on two-on-two instead of six-on-six. Tarleton will host games throughout the season, with the addition of the sand volleyball courts located between the Tarleton Recreational Center and Memorial Stadium. 

The head coach of the beach volleyball team is Tatyana Tuialii-Umi. She is a former All-Conference beach volleyball player and student-athlete at Tarleton. This background allows Tuialii-Umi to have a unique perspective and makes her qualified for the head coach position.

Tuialli-Umi is transitioning from being a teammate of Halcomb to becoming her coach.

“We have always had that line of yes, I respect her as a teammate but now I get to respect her as a coach, so I am excited to have her as a role model figure,” Halcomb said.

Tarleton has planned to introduce a beach volleyball team for years, but it was not until April 2023 that it was officially decided. The team was announced to the public at the end of July.

The team will be weightlifting, conditioning and having beach volleyball practice to prepare for the season. 

“I am excited for people to see what beach volleyball is like at a college level,” Halcomb said. “I am really excited about playing high-caliber teams, getting that competitive experience in a new sport, and growing my skills in beach volleyball as well.”

The addition of the beach volleyball team will bring growth to Tarleton’s sports program and athletic community. The volleyball team will be recruiting in January before the start of the season in 2024.