The 17th-ranked Utah Volleyball team is returning to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2021, riding a wave of momentum and excitement.

The No. 23-ranked Utah volleyball team looks to start its season strong against No. 24 Dayton Aug. 29 at the Jon M. Huntsman Center at 7 p.m. MDT.

Utah is now in the Big 12, which has just three other beach volleyball programs and no automatic qualifying spot for the NCAA Tournament for its league champion.

Utah’s pro sports scene is growing with women’s volleyball.LOVB Salt Lake, pronounced “LOVE,” is Utah’s first professional women’s volleyball team.

After nine seasons as part of University of Utah athletics, the school's beach volleyball program is being eliminated.