11/08/26 | Women's Beach Volleyball
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - Oregon beach volleyball's Bella Gamache and Elsa Snipes secured a top-25 finish at the 2026 AVCA Beach National Championships on Sunday, posting a 3-2 record for the weekend with a win over rival Washington in their final match.Â
The first pair in program history to earn a bid to the AVCA Beach National Championships, Gamache and Snipes were the No. 39 seed in the 64-team field. They guaranteed a finish better than their original seeding right off the bat on Friday, winning 21-15, 21-19 over Hawai'i to advance to the round of 32 in the championship bracket.Â
Gamache and Snipes held their own once again on Friday against UCLA's Harper Cooper and Alina Ryan, the No. 7 seeded pair in the field, but fell in two sets, 21-15, 21-18.
The duo then fell to LSU on Saturday before moving into the 25th-place bracket, where they picked up a 21-15, 21-16 win over Boise State to set up a rivalry showdown with Washington's MayaMay Brown and Ellis Hay. Gamache and Snipes pulled out a straight-set win over the Huskies, 21-16, 21-17, to earn a top-25 national finish.
The performance officially closed the 2026-27 fall season for the UO beach volleyball team, which is aiming to build on a historic first season under head coach Kristian Kuld.Â
The first pair in program history to earn a bid to the AVCA Beach National Championships, Gamache and Snipes were the No. 39 seed in the 64-team field. They guaranteed a finish better than their original seeding right off the bat on Friday, winning 21-15, 21-19 over Hawai'i to advance to the round of 32 in the championship bracket.Â
Gamache and Snipes held their own once again on Friday against UCLA's Harper Cooper and Alina Ryan, the No. 7 seeded pair in the field, but fell in two sets, 21-15, 21-18.
The duo then fell to LSU on Saturday before moving into the 25th-place bracket, where they picked up a 21-15, 21-16 win over Boise State to set up a rivalry showdown with Washington's MayaMay Brown and Ellis Hay. Gamache and Snipes pulled out a straight-set win over the Huskies, 21-16, 21-17, to earn a top-25 national finish.
The performance officially closed the 2026-27 fall season for the UO beach volleyball team, which is aiming to build on a historic first season under head coach Kristian Kuld.Â
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Beach Volleyball
/ Women's Beach Volleyball
Sunday, November 08
Monday, November 02
Saturday, October 31
Sunday, October 18
