SAN JOSE, Calif. – San José State is excited to announce that the Spartan beach volleyball team will be a member of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation for this upcoming spring 2026 season. The Spartans round out the 12-team conference for this academic year.
“The MPSF gives our beach volleyball student-athletes access to compete in one of the strongest conferences in the sport,” said San José State Director of Athletics Jeff Konya. “We are happy to be joining the conference this upcoming spring.”
Since hiring fifth-year MPSF Commissioner Foti Mellis in 2021, the conference has added 66 teams, 35 schools, and seven sports. "We are thrilled to welcome San José State as the 12th member of MPSF Beach Volleyball," said Mellis. "Their addition marks the conclusion of our expansion this year, strengthens our conference, and underscores the ongoing growth and competitiveness of the sport. We look forward to the energy and enthusiasm the Spartans will bring to the sand.”
San José State is also a current MPSF member in women’s water polo, and a former member in men’s water polo, men’s soccer, and women’s gymnastics.
Joining San José State in the MPSF’s second beach volleyball season in 2026 will be California, Grand Canyon, Oregon, Stanford, UCLA, USC, and Washington, in addition to fellow newcomers Florida State, LSU, South Carolina, and Texas in a 12-team conference.
The MPSF Beach Volleyball Championship Tournament will again be held at Spiker Beach in Huntington Beach, Calif., April 22-24, 2026.
Gary Hodge enters his fourth year as head coach of the Spartans. He has coached the squad to its most wins in program history in each of the last two years, collecting 14 victories in 2024, followed by 15 in 2025.
“We are deeply honored to be joining the MPSF,” said Hodge. “When I took over the beach program at San José State, I did it with a vision of building a team that could compete at the highest level in the nation. As the premier conference in the nation, the MPSF allows us to do exactly that. All but one of the NCAA Championships won in beach volleyball are by schools in the MPSF. The challenge ahead of us is gigantic but comes with an equal amount of inspiration and opportunity for growth.”
#AllSpartans