Sand Volleyball Team Closes Season Amid Sport’s Rapid Growth

Sand volleyball is the fastest-growing emerging sport in NCAA history. And the College of Charleston’s Sand Volleyball Team has been part of it since the beginning.

The College was among 16 schools that fielded teams for the inaugural year of sand volleyball as a collegiate sport in 2012. There are now more than 40 teams around the country.

Head Volleyball Coach Jason Kepner said the rapid development of the sport has been incredible. But more teams also means more competition.

The team closed out its season after a narrow loss to South Carolina on April 22, 2014. The Cougars beat the Gamecocks in a matchup earlier this season. The loss ends the team’s hopes of going to nationals, but Kepner said that along with the sport’s growth comes stiffer competition.

“We have to be in the top two on the East Coast to get a bid to nationals, and with the growth of the sport it is getting harder and harder,” Kepner said.

RELATED: Read why sand volleyball is the fastest-growing emerging sport in NCAA.

Following the conclusion of the indoor volleyball season in February, the team’s players had just two weeks to prepare for the outdoor season. “They do such a great job and put in so much hard work to make the transition,” Kepner said.”

The Cougars made that transition adeptly this year, jumping off to a 4-0 record to start this season, including victories over LSU, Oregon, and South Carolina.

The College was one of four schools that competed in the inaugural American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) National Championship in Gulf Shores, Ala., in April 2012.

RELATED: Watch a video of the 2012 team preparing for nationals.

Once 40 schools have fielded sand volleyball teams for two years, the NCAA will begin the process of creating a full-fledged national tournament for the sport.

Head Volleyball Coach Jason Kepner

Until then, Kepner and his team are focused on building a foundation for the future.

“We have learned so much in the past three years that has helped us be successful,” Kepner said. “We have always been in the hunt to go to the national championships, so I am very happy with the development of the program. As our girls play more and more I think the future growth at CofC can be unlimited.”