The University of San Diego announced this week that it will add women's beach volleyball as a varsity sport in 2027.
The Jansen family provided the lead gift to launch USD Athletics' new NCAA Division I beach volleyball program, the first of its kind in San Diego.
"This is an exciting and monumental moment for the Toreros," executive director of athletics Kimya Massey said. "We're incredibly grateful to the Jansen family who stepped forward with a significant gift to help us bring beach volleyball to USD — a natural fit for our institution and the San Diego community. Their investment in our women student-athletes and the future of our department was the catalyst that made this possible."
"As a family, we believe in creating opportunities that empower young women to excel both on and off the court," the Jansen family shared. "Supporting USD as they bring San Diego its first NCAA Division I beach volleyball program is an exciting milestone for the sport and the community. This program will open doors for women athletes to compete at the highest level while earning an exceptional education from one of the nation's top 50 universities."
The University of San Diego announced this week that it will add women's beach volleyball as a varsity sport in 2027.
The Jansen family provided the lead gift to launch USD Athletics' new NCAA Division I beach volleyball program, the first of its kind in San Diego.
"This is an exciting and monumental moment for the Toreros," executive director of athletics Kimya Massey said. "We're incredibly grateful to the Jansen family who stepped forward with a significant gift to help us bring beach volleyball to USD — a natural fit for our institution and the San Diego community. Their investment in our women student-athletes and the future of our department was the catalyst that made this possible."
"As a family, we believe in creating opportunities that empower young women to excel both on and off the court," the Jansen family shared. "Supporting USD as they bring San Diego its first NCAA Division I beach volleyball program is an exciting milestone for the sport and the community. This program will open doors for women athletes to compete at the highest level while earning an exceptional education from one of the nation's top 50 universities."
A national search for the program's inaugural head coach will begin immediately. The team would welcome its inaugural team of players in the fall of 2026 and would begin competition in spring 2027. The program is expected to carry a roster of up to 19 student-athletes.
Beach volleyball has experienced rapid growth in recent years and is recognized by the NCAA as one of its fastest-growing women's sports. Between 2012 and 2015, participation nearly tripled and, by 2023, more than 90 institutions and 1,600 student-athletes competed at the collegiate level. The sport became an NCAA championship offering in 2016, with more than 100 institutions across Divisions I, II, and III now sponsoring it.
The team is expected to compete on an on-campus facility with the ability to host tournaments, camps, and NCAA matches on a regular basis.
"With 17 miles of coastline and an average of 266 days of sunshine each year, San Diego is a mecca for beach volleyball," said USD president James Harris III. "And we have a long legacy of volleyball on this campus. Given the fact that our women's volleyball team recently advanced to the Final Four for the first time ever, there's absolutely no better place to play volleyball — either on the court or on the beach — than at USD."
