Boise State Athletics
Photo by: Boise State Athletics
Broncos to Face Top Talent at Battle for LA
2/26/2026 10:00:00 AM | Women's Beach Volleyball
WHAT'S NEXT: Boise State beach volleyball will compete in its toughest competition of the season, facing three top 10 opponents at the Battle for LA. The Broncos (3-1) will take on No. 2 UCLA and No. 3 Cal Poly on Friday, Feb. 27 before facing off against CSUN and No. 8 Loyola Marymount on Saturday.
WEEKEND SCHEDULE: The matchup against No. 2 UCLA will take place at 11 a.m. MT on Friday, with the Broncos ending the day against No. 3 Cal Poly at 1 p.m. MT. Boise State will pick up on the second day of competition with a contest against CSUN at 11 a.m. MT, before concluding the weekend against No. 8 Loyola Marymount at 3 p.m. MT.
COMPETING AGAINST THE BEST: The Broncos, who are receiving votes in the AVCA Beach Collegiate Poll, will compete against a pair of top five opponents in back-to-back games. It marks the second time the program has done so in program history, as the squad took on No. 1 USC and No. 2 Hawaii on April 11, 2015 in its second year as a program. Boise State is seeking its first victory over a top 10 opponent in program history, having lost the previous 14 matchups.
SERIES HISTORY: Boise State will compete against UCLA and Loyola Marymount for the first time in program history. The Broncos trail Cal Poly 2-4 in the all-time series, but won the last matchup against the Mustangs, then ranked 13th nationally, 4-1 on April 23, 2022. Boise State leads the all-time series against CSUN, 3-2.
WEEKEND RECAP: The Blue and Orange opened their 2026 campaign with a 3-1 mark at the Beach Burrow Bash in Boca Raton, Fla. Two of the squad's three wins (Florida International, Coastal Carolina) were against teams that were receiving votes in the AVCA Collegiate Beach Preseason Poll. Allyson Alden and Serena van der Made had a dominant showing in their debut, finishing the weekend 4-0 from the No. 2 court, including a straight-set victory over No. 15 Florida Atlantic.
NEW YEAR, NEW CONFERENCE: Boise State will be competing in its inaugural season as members of the Big 12. The Broncos, who officially joined the league alongside Florida State and South Carolina in September 2025, joined incumbent members Arizona, Arizona State and defending national champion TCU. Boise State will compete in two conference events: the Big 12 Preview in Fort Worth, Texas on March 27-28 and the Big 12 Conference Championship on April 22-24 in Tucson, Ariz. The Broncos spent their previous three seasons as members of the Southland Conference after playing their first nine seasons without a conference affiliation.
NEW YEAR, NEW COACH: The 2026 season will mark the debut of head coach Alex Venardos, who took over the helm of the program after Allison Voigt stepped down over the summer. Venardos, who was named to the 2023 class of the AVCA Thirty Under 30 Beach honorees, served as a full-time assistant in the program since 2019 and has been involved with the program since 2016. He earned his first career victory with a 3-2 win over Florida International in his coaching debut.
YEAR IN REVIEW: The Broncos are coming off their most accomplished season to date. Boise State won both the SLC regular season and conference championship in 2025, the latter of which claimed the program's first berth in the 16-team NCAA Beach Volleyball National Tournament. The Broncos finished 23-12, marking their fourth consecutive 20+ win season.
KEEP YOUR EYES OUT: Boise State returns six members who were named all-conference a season ago. Alden, the SLC Newcomer of the Year, joins Avery Allen, Abbie Wolf and Elli Wolthuis as returning first-team all-conference honorees while Addison Moss and Lily Patock were named to the second team. Also returning are Ava Anderson and Addison Wolden, who enter the season in the top 10 for career wins in the program's record book.
BLOCK PARTY: Alden launched a 'Block Party' fundraiser on Feb. 11 for every ace and/or block the sixth-year senior records on the season. The campaign asks donors to pledge a certain dollar amount for every ace or block that Alden records during the 2026 campaign, with all donations going towards BroncoBOLD. On the opening weekend, Alden recorded 11 aces and six blocks. Those interested in joining can sign up here.
WEEKEND SCHEDULE: The matchup against No. 2 UCLA will take place at 11 a.m. MT on Friday, with the Broncos ending the day against No. 3 Cal Poly at 1 p.m. MT. Boise State will pick up on the second day of competition with a contest against CSUN at 11 a.m. MT, before concluding the weekend against No. 8 Loyola Marymount at 3 p.m. MT.
COMPETING AGAINST THE BEST: The Broncos, who are receiving votes in the AVCA Beach Collegiate Poll, will compete against a pair of top five opponents in back-to-back games. It marks the second time the program has done so in program history, as the squad took on No. 1 USC and No. 2 Hawaii on April 11, 2015 in its second year as a program. Boise State is seeking its first victory over a top 10 opponent in program history, having lost the previous 14 matchups.
SERIES HISTORY: Boise State will compete against UCLA and Loyola Marymount for the first time in program history. The Broncos trail Cal Poly 2-4 in the all-time series, but won the last matchup against the Mustangs, then ranked 13th nationally, 4-1 on April 23, 2022. Boise State leads the all-time series against CSUN, 3-2.
WEEKEND RECAP: The Blue and Orange opened their 2026 campaign with a 3-1 mark at the Beach Burrow Bash in Boca Raton, Fla. Two of the squad's three wins (Florida International, Coastal Carolina) were against teams that were receiving votes in the AVCA Collegiate Beach Preseason Poll. Allyson Alden and Serena van der Made had a dominant showing in their debut, finishing the weekend 4-0 from the No. 2 court, including a straight-set victory over No. 15 Florida Atlantic.
NEW YEAR, NEW CONFERENCE: Boise State will be competing in its inaugural season as members of the Big 12. The Broncos, who officially joined the league alongside Florida State and South Carolina in September 2025, joined incumbent members Arizona, Arizona State and defending national champion TCU. Boise State will compete in two conference events: the Big 12 Preview in Fort Worth, Texas on March 27-28 and the Big 12 Conference Championship on April 22-24 in Tucson, Ariz. The Broncos spent their previous three seasons as members of the Southland Conference after playing their first nine seasons without a conference affiliation.
NEW YEAR, NEW COACH: The 2026 season will mark the debut of head coach Alex Venardos, who took over the helm of the program after Allison Voigt stepped down over the summer. Venardos, who was named to the 2023 class of the AVCA Thirty Under 30 Beach honorees, served as a full-time assistant in the program since 2019 and has been involved with the program since 2016. He earned his first career victory with a 3-2 win over Florida International in his coaching debut.
YEAR IN REVIEW: The Broncos are coming off their most accomplished season to date. Boise State won both the SLC regular season and conference championship in 2025, the latter of which claimed the program's first berth in the 16-team NCAA Beach Volleyball National Tournament. The Broncos finished 23-12, marking their fourth consecutive 20+ win season.
KEEP YOUR EYES OUT: Boise State returns six members who were named all-conference a season ago. Alden, the SLC Newcomer of the Year, joins Avery Allen, Abbie Wolf and Elli Wolthuis as returning first-team all-conference honorees while Addison Moss and Lily Patock were named to the second team. Also returning are Ava Anderson and Addison Wolden, who enter the season in the top 10 for career wins in the program's record book.
BLOCK PARTY: Alden launched a 'Block Party' fundraiser on Feb. 11 for every ace and/or block the sixth-year senior records on the season. The campaign asks donors to pledge a certain dollar amount for every ace or block that Alden records during the 2026 campaign, with all donations going towards BroncoBOLD. On the opening weekend, Alden recorded 11 aces and six blocks. Those interested in joining can sign up here.
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Beach Volleyball
/ Women's Beach Volleyball
/ Women's Beach Volleyball
/ Women's Beach Volleyball
/ Women's Beach Volleyball
/ Women's Beach Volleyball
/ Women's Beach Volleyball
/ Women's Beach Volleyball
/ Women's Beach Volleyball
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