The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Washington
Blazers Upset No.18 Washington on Day One of Tiger Beach Challenge
2/27/2026 9:59:00 PM | Women's Beach Volleyball
BATON ROUGE, La. - The UAB beach volleyball team defeated No.18 Washington 3-2 on the opening day of the Tiger Beach Challenge on Friday. The Blazers (4-3) secured their first win over a ranked opponent since a 4-1 victory against No. 20 Georgia State in 2025. It was also the program's highest ranked win since 2023.
UAB set the tone on Court 1 with a decisive 2-0 victory from Jasmine Haas and Olivia Stant over the Huskies' (3-2) Katrina Pantoric and Niki Egan. With the win, Haas and Stant moved into sole possession of third place in program history for career wins as a duo with 30. Haas also recorded her 71st career victory, setting the program's all-time individual wins record.
The Blazers added a hard-fought 2-1 victory on Court 5 win as Olivia Chychrun and Ava Grace Knott defeated Alina Urzua and Avery Towne in three sets. The dual was decided on Court 3, where Lauren Cairo and Claudia Stockard outlasted Mayamay Brown and Zoe Padarcus 2-1.
In the nightcap against ULM (1-5), the Blazers delivered a dominant performance, sweeping the Warhawks 5-0. UAB dropped just two sets across all five courts, earning victories on each. This included straight-set wins on Court 2, 3 and 4.
The Blazers return to action Saturday at 10:30 a.m. in their first Conference USA matchup of the season against Tulane (4-3). UAB closes the tournament at 2:15 p.m. against Houston Christian (1-5).
FOLLOW THE BLAZERS: Stay connected with UAB Beach Volleyball by following the Blazers at @UAB_BVB on Instagram and X. Additional information, including schedules and results, can be found at UABSports.com.
