Ohio Valley Conference Crowns Rushing/Sulcer As Beach Volleyball Pair Of The Week
3/25/2026 10:00:00 AM | Beach Volleyball
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – After accounting for a five-match winning streak in the sand, the University of Tennessee at Martin No. 1 beach volleyball tandem of Riley Rushing and Dylan Sulcer were named Ohio Valley Conference Pair of the Week.
Today's announcement marks the first career OVC Pair of the Week honor for both Rushing (a senior from Snowmass Village, Colo.) and Sulcer (a junior out of Brentwood, Tenn.). They are the 13th and 14th Skyhawk representatives to win this award and are the 10th different duo in school history to bring home this accolade.
Rushing/Sulcer went a perfect 5-0 in a four-day span while occupying the top spot in the UT Martin lineup, helping the Skyhawks go 3-2 in their second week of the 2026 campaign.
Rushing/Sulcer's week began with a 19-21, 21-14, 16-14 home triumph over OVC rival Chattanooga on Wednesday. They carried that momentum into the UCA Spring Break Invitational in Conway, Ark., opening the tournament with wins against Texas A&M-Kingsville (18-21, 21-18, 17-15) and Central Arkansas (21-19, 22-20) on Friday. The following day, they earned a hard-fought 21-15, 24-26, 15-10 victory over their Texas A&M-Kingsville counterparts and a 17-21, 21-15, 15-11 win against the No. 1 duo from Mary Hardin-Baylor.
On the season, Rushing/Sulcer are 8-1 while exclusively playing out of the No. 1 position all spring. The pair has won six decisions in a row and have already matched their season win tally out of that spot in the lineup from 2025.
UT Martin is back in action on Friday, March 27 and Saturday, March 28 – competing in the OVC Weekend at Chattanooga. The Skyhawks are matched up against league rivals Morehead State, Eastern Illinois, Lindenwood and Tennessee Tech in a span of 34 hours at the UTC Beach Volleyball Facility.
Today's announcement marks the first career OVC Pair of the Week honor for both Rushing (a senior from Snowmass Village, Colo.) and Sulcer (a junior out of Brentwood, Tenn.). They are the 13th and 14th Skyhawk representatives to win this award and are the 10th different duo in school history to bring home this accolade.
Rushing/Sulcer went a perfect 5-0 in a four-day span while occupying the top spot in the UT Martin lineup, helping the Skyhawks go 3-2 in their second week of the 2026 campaign.
Rushing/Sulcer's week began with a 19-21, 21-14, 16-14 home triumph over OVC rival Chattanooga on Wednesday. They carried that momentum into the UCA Spring Break Invitational in Conway, Ark., opening the tournament with wins against Texas A&M-Kingsville (18-21, 21-18, 17-15) and Central Arkansas (21-19, 22-20) on Friday. The following day, they earned a hard-fought 21-15, 24-26, 15-10 victory over their Texas A&M-Kingsville counterparts and a 17-21, 21-15, 15-11 win against the No. 1 duo from Mary Hardin-Baylor.
On the season, Rushing/Sulcer are 8-1 while exclusively playing out of the No. 1 position all spring. The pair has won six decisions in a row and have already matched their season win tally out of that spot in the lineup from 2025.
UT Martin is back in action on Friday, March 27 and Saturday, March 28 – competing in the OVC Weekend at Chattanooga. The Skyhawks are matched up against league rivals Morehead State, Eastern Illinois, Lindenwood and Tennessee Tech in a span of 34 hours at the UTC Beach Volleyball Facility.
Players Mentioned
/ Beach Volleyball
/ Beach Volleyball
Skyhawk Sports Talk - Season 3, Episode 27
Tuesday, March 17
Skyhawk Sports Talk - Season 3, Episode 26
Tuesday, March 10
4-27-23 Beach Cruises in OVC Opener
Thursday, April 10
4-28-23: Beach Rolls in OVC Semifinals
Thursday, April 10