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Tarleton State University Athletics

WildcatClassicPreviewStory

Women's Volleyball Grant Cohen

Tarleton State Volleyball opens 2026 season this weekend at Wildcat Classic

TUCSON, Ariz. – Tarleton State Volleyball begins the 2026 regular season with the Wildcat Classic this weekend, taking on UCSB, Arizona and Prairie View A&M starting Friday at the McKale Center. 

The Texans open play in Arizona on Friday at 5:30 p.m. CT, taking on UC Santa Barbara. Tarleton State will play tournament host, Arizona, on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CT before wrapping up the tournament on Sunday against Prairie View A&M at 12 p.m. CT. 

UCSB finished with 23 wins in 2025 while Arizona advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament last year. Prairie View A&M defeated the Texans 3-2 in the two teams' last meeting in 2025 in the Tarleton State Invitational, but Tarleton State still leads the overall series 5-3. 

Tarleton State enters the 2026 with momentum after improving their win total by nine wins a year ago. Head coach Jazmyne Johnson anchored the Texans' turnaround in her first season as head coach last year. The DeSoto, Texas, native enters her second season after being the Associate Head Coach at Louisiana. 

The Texans return several key players from last year, including Alyssa Dinh and Madison Frank. Dinh was named 2025 Western Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year and earned All-WAC Freshman Team honors. Frank earned All-WAC Second Team honors in 2025.

Friday and Sunday's match will be available to watch on FloSports while Saturday's match against Arizona will be broadcast on ESPN+. Live stats will be provided for all matches through StatBroadcast. 

HIGH EXPECTATIONS
  • Tarleton State Volleyball was picked third in the United Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches Poll and had representation on the Preseason All-Conference Team, the conference announced Tuesday.
  • Tarleton State's third-place ranking marks the highest preseason conference placement in the Division I era (non-division format). 
  • It is the best preseason ranking since the Texans were predicted to win the Lone Star Conference in Division II in 2019.
  • The 2026 squad returns nine letterwinners from the previous season, including a pair of Texans receiving All-Conference recognition. Middle Blocker Alyssa Dinh returns to Stephenville for her second season after being tabbed the WAC Freshman of the Year to go with a spot on the All-Conference Freshman Team. 
  • Outside hitter Madison Frank enters her fourth year at Tarleton State with two All-Conference honors, including a spot on the All-Conference Second Team last season.
DINH DOMINATING
  • Alyssa Dinh was one of seven players selected for the Preseason All-UAC Team. Dinh's placement on the All-UAC Preseason Team marks the third consecutive year the Texans have had representation on a preseason all-conference team.
  • After missing the first six matches, Dinh quickly took over the Texans and became one of the most impactful front-row players in the WAC last season. 
  • She closed the season with 86 kills and an attacking percentage of .286. Her 1.51 kills per set made her one of the WAC's most efficient attackers. 
  • Solidifying the Texans' interior presence defensively with 62 total blocks— including 14 solo stops, Dinh averaged 1.09 blocks per set in 2025 to rank among the league's top middle blockers. She also set the Division I era program record for single match blocks with 11 on Oct. 2, 2025 against UT Arlington.
COMEBACK KIDS 
  • No deficit is too big for Tarleton State Volleyball, with the Texans mounting a number of comebacks in 2025. 
  • Tarleton State reverse swept three opponents in 2025 after losing the first two sets in those matches. 
  • The Texans were also down 2-1 going into the fourth set in the WAC Tournament Quarterfinals last year, winning the final two sets to advance to the semifinals with a 3-2 win over California Baptist. 
  • Tarleton State started the season with a 1-2 record in five-set matches, but rallied to win seven straight five-set matches to finish the year with an 8-2 record in those contests. 
  • The Texans also reverse swept Texas State in the team's first exhibition of the 2026 season. 
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Players Mentioned

Madison Frank

#9 Madison Frank

MB
6' 1"
Junior
Alyssa Dinh

#23 Alyssa Dinh

MB
6' 1"
Redshirt Freshman

Players Mentioned

Madison Frank

#9 Madison Frank

6' 1"
Junior
MB
Alyssa Dinh

#23 Alyssa Dinh

6' 1"
Redshirt Freshman
MB