The Texas volleyball program enters September with a string of developments that touch recruiting, roster composition and national exposure: two incoming beach recruits received AVCA Junior Beach All-America First Team honors, a former elite volleyball recruit who left for track is returning to the court as a dual-sport athlete, and the November showdown with Texas A&M has been elevated to ABC television.
- Ella Grimes and LeAnn Wise earned AVCA Junior Beach All-America First Team honors — the first Longhorns to do so (The Daily Texan).
- Mackenzie Collins is returning to Texas volleyball while continuing to compete in track and field (Sports Illustrated).
- The Nov. 1 Texas–Texas A&M matchup in Austin was upgraded to ABC, increasing national visibility for both programs (Yahoo Sports reporting).
- Unclear details remain about Collins’ immediate minutes and whether the beach commits will have indoor roles; early-season lineups will answer those questions.
What happened this week
Three items from recent reporting give a snapshot of where the Longhorns stand heading into the 2026 season:
- Ella Grimes and LeAnn Wise, freshmen commits to Texas’ beach volleyball program, were named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Junior Beach All-America First Team for their results in the 2025/2026 junior circuit, marking the first time Texas athletes have earned that honor in the award’s 12-year history (The Daily Texan).
- Mackenzie Collins, a Houston native who left volleyball to pursue track at Texas, is rejoining the indoor volleyball roster in 2026 while continuing to compete for the university’s track and field program (Sports Illustrated).
- The high-profile November match between No. 12 Texas A&M and No. 9 Texas in Austin has been moved from ESPN to ABC, giving the rivalry a broader national window and indicating increased television interest in women’s college volleyball (Yahoo Sports/12thman.com reporting summarized by Yahoo Sports Canada).
Why each development matters
Two incoming beach standouts broaden recruiting credentials
Ella Grimes (Springboro, Ohio) and LeAnn Wise (San Antonio) bring proven junior-tour success to Texas’ beach program. According to The Daily Texan, Grimes won at the 2025 FIVB U18 Junior World Championships and several national junior events; Wise placed at AAU and AVP junior nationals and reclassified early to join the Longhorns. Those credentials are notable for a program that finished last season 28-7 and reached the national semifinal: the Longhorns enter 2026 with significant roster turnover among upperclassmen, so incoming players with high-level tournament experience could help shore up depth and continuity on the sand court.
Mackenzie Collins’ return adds athleticism and depth on the indoor court
Sports Illustrated reports Collins is returning to volleyball after spending her first two years focused on track and field. A former top volleyball recruit and a national-team development program participant, Collins has developed as a 400m hurdles and sprint competitor for Texas’ track staff; she won the 400m hurdles at the 2026 Texas Invitational and scored at the SEC Outdoor Championships. Those speed and explosiveness traits translate well to the middle-blocker role, where lateral quickness and vertical burst are valuable. Even if Collins begins as a reserve, her presence increases positional depth behind returning middles and helps manage player workload over a long season.
ABC broadcast amplifies the A&M rivalry — and college volleyball’s reach
Yahoo Sports reported the Nov. 1 meeting in Austin between ranked Texas A&M and Texas was upgraded to ABC, moving the match into a more prominent national slot. That decision follows an early string of competitive meetings since Texas rejoined the SEC and large local attendance for the Aggies’ recent win in College Station. For Texas, a nationally televised rivalry game in Gregory Gym (or the Austin site listed) can impact recruiting visibility, fan engagement and the national perception of the program during the middle of the season when conference positioning and NCAA Tournament resumes start to take shape.
Timeline of recent and relevant events
- 2025: Ella Grimes wins FIVB U18 Junior World Championships and posts top finishes on the junior beach circuit (The Daily Texan).
- December 2025: Texas volleyball reaches NCAA semifinal, finishing the season 28-7 and ranked No. 2 before falling to UCLA (The Daily Texan summary of program progress).
- Early 2026: LeAnn Wise reclassifies to the class of 2026 and completes an early graduation to join Texas (The Daily Texan).
- 2026 outdoor track season: Mackenzie Collins wins the 400m hurdles at the Texas Invitational and scores at SEC Outdoor Championships (Sports Illustrated).
- Aug. 28, 2026: Preview coverage highlights Texas’ early-season mixed results and upcoming nonconference showcase matches (Austin American-Statesman coverage of Las Vegas Players Era Showcase).
- Sept. 2026: Reports confirm Grimes and Wise’s AVCA Junior Beach All-America First Team honors and Collins’ return to volleyball; the Nov. 1 Texas–Texas A&M match is elevated to ABC (The Daily Texan, Sports Illustrated, Yahoo Sports reporting).
How these pieces fit into the Longhorns’ 2026 outlook
Texas enters the season balancing continuity from a deep 2025 run and the challenge of replacing experience: The Daily Texan noted nine members of last year’s beach roster were juniors or seniors, opening minutes for freshmen arrivals. On the indoor side, Statesman reporting on early-season play shows Texas still seeking consistency after losses and five-set matches in a difficult nonconference block; adding Collins’ athletic profile could be a mid-season stabilizer in the front row if she adapts quickly.
The ABC broadcast of the A&M match signals growing mainstream interest in women’s college volleyball and places a spotlight on both programs; national exposure can affect recruiting and fundraising momentum even beyond a single match result.
Unresolved questions and what to watch next
- Playing time and role: Neither reporting specifies Collins’ immediate role in the rotation. Watch early nonconference and Big 12/SEC matchups for how Texas integrates her minutes with established middles (SI, Statesman).
- Indoor–beach crossover: Grimes and Wise were honored for beach play. It’s not specified whether they will also compete for indoor roster spots; the Daily Texan frames them as beach commitments, and Texas’ program structure will determine any crossover opportunities.
- Impact of national TV: How the ABC window affects attendance, recruiting visits and NIL exposure for both Texas and Texas A&M remains to be seen; the Yahoo Sports piece frames the move as meaningful for visibility but does not quantify downstream effects.
Practical implications for fans and local stakeholders
- Fans tracking roster changes should monitor match-day lineups and early-season rotations to see Collins’ integration and whether Grimes or Wise appear in any indoor exhibition play (Sports Illustrated, The Daily Texan, Statesman).
- Prospective recruits and local high-school programs can point to ABC exposure and recent All-America honors as evidence of Texas’ continued national profile — useful for local recruiting conversations and high-school showcase planning (Yahoo Sports, The Daily Texan).
- Athletic department planners and ticketing staff should prepare for increased demand around the Nov. 1 ABC window, as national broadcasts historically lift single-game interest and local engagement (Yahoo Sports commentary on visibility).
Where the reporting agrees and what remains tentative
All sources consistently report Collins’ return to volleyball and the AVCA recognition for Grimes and Wise; they also agree the A&M–Texas match was elevated to ABC. What remains tentative in the coverage is Collins’ expected playing time and whether the incoming beach players will have indoor roles beyond the sand program. The available reporting offers context and plausible impacts but stops short of concrete roster projections or guaranteed playing-time decisions.
“Grimes and Wise are the first UT athletes to receive this honor in the 12 years of its existence.” — The Daily Texan (reporting)
Bottom line
Texas volleyball’s immediate news — two AVCA-recognized beach freshmen, the return of an elite former recruit as a dual-sport athlete, and a nationally televised rivalry date — reflects both roster renewal and a higher public profile for the program. Each development can affect depth, match-day strategy and recruiting momentum; the next weeks of nonconference play and official rotation announcements will clarify how these pieces change the Longhorns’ on-court outlook.
