The University of Utah Athletics
Five Beach Only Players Eager for 2020 Season
2/6/2020 8:47 AM | Beach Volleyball
The Five have been Training All Fall
SALT LAKE CITY - Â The Utah beach volleyball team is ramping up for its 2020 season and has welcomed several new members to its team.
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The Utes begin their season on Saturday, February 29 at California and then take on UC Davis later that same day.
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Utah has had five players training all fall to prepare for this season and a few have transferred in. Jessica Villela, Olivia Teerlink and Keana Smalls are the three returning.
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Villela enters her sophomore year and went 5-7 as a freshman playing in the three spot with Lauren Sproule. Teerlink goes into her senior season after being named Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention after playing with Kinga Windisch and Phoebe Grace during the season. Smalls returns for her second season with the team after playing in the four or five spot.
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Two graduate transfers have joined the team. Mckenna Granato transferred from Hawaii, where she played on the indoor team. She was named to the All-Big West First Team in 2017 and 2018 playing outside hitter. Granato led the team in kills her junior and senior season.
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The other graduate transfer is from Tiyana Hallums from Gonzaga. She played libero at Gonzaga and totaled 454 digs her senior season having 20 digs in at least nine matches. Hallums became the program's all-time leading digs leader during her senior season.
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The team will have a busy spring and will once again host a tournament on Friday, April 10-11 on the Utah campus.
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The Utes begin their season on Saturday, February 29 at California and then take on UC Davis later that same day.
Â
Utah has had five players training all fall to prepare for this season and a few have transferred in. Jessica Villela, Olivia Teerlink and Keana Smalls are the three returning.
Â
Villela enters her sophomore year and went 5-7 as a freshman playing in the three spot with Lauren Sproule. Teerlink goes into her senior season after being named Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention after playing with Kinga Windisch and Phoebe Grace during the season. Smalls returns for her second season with the team after playing in the four or five spot.
Â
Two graduate transfers have joined the team. Mckenna Granato transferred from Hawaii, where she played on the indoor team. She was named to the All-Big West First Team in 2017 and 2018 playing outside hitter. Granato led the team in kills her junior and senior season.
Â
The other graduate transfer is from Tiyana Hallums from Gonzaga. She played libero at Gonzaga and totaled 454 digs her senior season having 20 digs in at least nine matches. Hallums became the program's all-time leading digs leader during her senior season.
 Â
The team will have a busy spring and will once again host a tournament on Friday, April 10-11 on the Utah campus.
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Players Mentioned
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/ Beach Volleyball
/ Beach Volleyball
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