Sixteen teams. One bracket. Zero lifelines.
The 2025 NCAA Beach Volleyball Championship is underway in Gulf Shores, Alabama, and it’s already living up to the hype — sunburns, upsets, and straight chaos in the sand.
This year’s tournament?
Single elimination. No second chances. No safety net. Just one wild sprint to the crown.
📺 How to Watch (a.k.a. Don’t Miss a Set)
- May 2–4 | Gulf Shores Public Beach, AL
- ESPN2, ESPN+, Disney+ airing all the first rounds + semis
- Championship Match: Sunday, May 4 @ 10:30 a.m. ET on ESPN
Every pairs match is streaming. Every point is live. Every beach rat in America is locked in.
🧨 First Round Matchups (May 2)
| Time (ET) | Matchup |
|---|---|
| 9 AM | LMU (4) vs. Florida Atlantic (13) |
| 10 AM | USC (5) vs. North Florida (12) |
| 11 AM | UCLA (1) vs. Chattanooga (16) |
| Noon | Florida State (8) vs. Long Beach State (9) |
| 1 PM | TCU (2) vs. Georgia State (15) |
| 2 PM | Texas (7) vs. California (10) |
| 3 PM | Stanford (3) vs. Boise State (14) |
| 4 PM | Cal Poly (6) vs. LSU (11) |
🔥 Teams Bringing the Heat
🎯 UCLA (1)
The Bruins are back on top. After losing to USC in last year’s final, they’ve got a revenge tour planned and a roster full of All-Americans ready to spike your bracket into the sea.
🐸 TCU (2)
Frogs are for real. They’ve sat at No. 1 this season and bring depth, fire, and swagger. Could this be their year?
🌲 Stanford (3)
Balanced. Battle-tested. Built for big moments. Don’t let their quiet confidence fool you — they’re ready to bury opponents.
🦁 LMU (4)
Started the tourney with a sweep. Their top pairs (Tanon Rosenthal & Giuliana Poletti Corrales, Isabelle Reffel & Magdalena Rabitsch) are straight-up problems.
🏐 USC (5)
Four straight national titles. That’s not luck — that’s legacy. They’re the fifth seed, but still the team everyone’s watching. And they’re not going out quietly.
🔥 First-Timers: Texas (7) & Boise State (14)
New blood alert. These programs are making their NCAA beach debut, and they’re not here for the view.
💫 Players to Watch
- UCLA’s Top Pair – Clean, clinical, and lethal.
- TCU’s Consistent Killers – One of the most dominant duos all season.
- USC’s Veterans – Multiple titles. Big-match DNA.
- LMU’s Power Pairings – Already putting teams in the blender.
- Stanford’s Depth – One through five, they don’t blink.
⚡ Storylines to Obsess Over
- USC’s Five-Peat?
Four-time defending champs looking to make NCAA history. The pressure is palpable. - Revenge Season?
UCLA and TCU are hunting. No more second place. No more excuses. - Bracket Chaos Incoming?
With no double-elim, every match is win or swim. Expect surprises. - Debut Drama:
Texas and Boise State are crashing the party, and they’re doing it with nothing to lose.
🏁 Final Serve
No do-overs. No best-of-threes.
Just pure, unforgiving, sun-soaked volleyball warfare.
🏆 Who’s leaving Gulf Shores with the title?
👑 Will USC make it five in a row?
💥 Or will a new champion rise from the sand?
You’ve got until Sunday morning to find out — then it’s title time on ESPN.
Brace yourselves. This is beach volleyball at its absolute best.
🔗 Citations & Live Coverage:
→ NCAA Championship Bracket + Scores
→ Full Coverage on ESPN
→ Streaming: ESPN+, Disney+, Fubo, NCAA.com
