ASC schools including Mary Hardin-Baylor will compete in the first conference championship as the league adds beach volleyball in 2026.
BELTON, Texas — The American Southwest Conference will add beach volleyball as a varsity sport beginning in the 2026-27 academic year, becoming the first NCAA Division III conference to sponsor a championship in the sport.
East Texas Baptist, Howard Payne, Mary Hardin-Baylor and Schreiner will sponsor teams and compete for the inaugural ASC Beach Volleyball Championship next spring. Beach volleyball became an official NCAA sport in 2015 as the association’s 90th championship event.
“Today marks an exciting milestone for our conference,” ASC Commissioner Leslie Schuemann said. “The addition of beach volleyball reflects our commitment to expanding opportunities for student-athletes and embracing sports that are growing across the nation.”
The NCAA operates a national championship in beach volleyball each year that can include teams from all three divisions through at-large selection. Small colleges also compete annually in the American Volleyball Coaches Association’s Small College Beach National Championships.
Mary Hardin-Baylor head coach Mark Pryor said the move highlights the sport’s momentum at the Division III level. UMHB launched its program in 2022 and has since won back-to-back AVCA Small College Beach Division III national titles in 2024 and 2025. The Cru has posted a 71-49 overall record in four seasons, including 33-14 against Division III opponents and 14 wins over Division I and II programs since 2024.
“When we started, there wasn’t another Division III program within 500 miles,” Pryor said. “It is gratifying to see how UMHB has been at the forefront of growing this sport. With the landscape of collegiate athletics changing, the ASC is being proactive in expanding opportunities for female student-athletes.”
