USF Launches Women’s Beach Volleyball Team Aiming for Success in Inaugural Season

The University of South Florida will start its first season of women's beach volleyball on Feb. 20 at Tulane. Competition happens in Conference USA after an unofficial practice season in 2025.

USF announced the addition of women's beach volleyball in 2023. The school has had an indoor volleyball team since 1972. The sand version is new this spring.

Head coach Pri Piantadosi-Lima has brought in transfer players from top programs across the nation, assembling a roster that includes two national champion transfers. Players from Cal Poly who finished in the top four have joined the squad. Athletes from TCU, USC, and South Carolina are on board. International players have also signed up.

"We're able to bring some really good talents around the country, two national champion transfers, top four from Cal Poly, we have TCU, USC, and South Carolina," said Piantadosi-Lima to Tampa Bay 28. "So, it was really cool. Bring some really strong international players. We're able to not start from the bottom. We're going to be turning some heads."

Sasha Pasloski, one of the team's players, sees the opportunity to build something from scratch. "I'm so grateful I found this program in my recruiting journey," Pasloski said. "We have the chance to literally make history. We have a chance to set records, build it from the ground up, make it what we want to be."

Josephine Sek plans to give full effort in the first campaign. "We're starting off as nobody, but we're coming off exactly who we are," Sek said. "We're going to work hard for everything and leave everything we have on and off the court."

The expectations for this first-year program go past what most new teams face. Pasloski noted the internal drive pushing the group. "Coach Pri says it all the time, 'We're not good yet. We haven't gotten there yet.' The expectations come from us, and that's one of the most powerful assets that we have," Pasloski added.

Piantadosi-Lima has set her sights on winning Conference USA. "As a coach, you got to maintain that level-headedness," Piantadosi-Lima said. "But inside, I'm just beaming. I'm driving home, visualizing winning the conference, being in Gulf Shores. Really working to be at that level."

Home matches will take place on Clearwater Beach. The team opens its debut campaign on Feb. 20 against Tulane.