The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Volleyball’s Stafford, Spears named to AVCA Player of the Year Preseason Watch List
07.29.2026 | Volleyball
Longhorn duo among 30 student-athletes selected for the national award watch list.
AUSTIN, Texas – Texas Volleyball's Torrey Stafford and Cari Spears were named to the 2026 AVCA Division I Women's Volleyball Player of the Year Preseason Watch List, the organization announced Wednesday.
Stafford and Spears are two of 30 student-athletes from 16 programs selected to the preseason watch list, which was compiled by the AVCA Division I Women's Volleyball Awards Committee. The 2026 season marks the third year of the preseason watch list.
Stafford returns for her senior season after earning AVCA First Team All-America honors for the second consecutive year in 2025. The Torrance, California, native led the Longhorns with 516 kills, 33 service aces and 580.5 points while averaging 4.69 kills per set and hitting .360. She also was named the AVCA Southwest Region Player of the Year and finished the season as an AVCA National Player of the Year semifinalist.
Spears is coming off one of the top freshman campaigns in program history after earning AVCA Third Team All-America honors in 2025. The Frisco native finished second on the team with 358 kills while averaging 3.25 kills per set and hitting .295. She also became the first Texas freshman to earn AVCA National Player of the Week honors and was recognized as the AVCA Southwest Region Freshman of the Year.
Stafford is making her third consecutive appearance on the AVCA Player of the Year Preseason Watch List and her second as a Longhorn after previously being recognized in 2024 at Pitt and again in 2025 at Texas. Spears earns her first career selection. Texas has had at least one student-athlete named to every AVCA Player of the Year Preseason Watch List since its inception in 2024, when Reagan Rutherford and Madisen Skinner represented the Longhorns on the inaugural list.
The Player of the Year process will continue throughout the season with a midseason watch list in October, followed by a list of semifinalists in November and finalists in December. The 2026 AVCA Division I Women's Volleyball Player of the Year will be announced at the AVCA Awards Banquet in San Antonio on Friday, Dec. 18.
