University Southern California Trojans
Three Pairs Earn AVCA Top Flight Award
May 01, 2026 | Women's Beach Volleyball
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The American Volleyball Coaches Association announced the recipients of this year's Top Flight Award, and three USC Beach Volleyball pairs earned this prestigious award.
The AVCA Top Flight award is given to pairs who played in at least 15 games in a particular flight and maintained a win percentage of 75 percent or better throughout the season. For USC, the three pairs were Ashley Pater and Kennedy Coakley on the second flight, Sarah Wood and Zoey Henson on the second flight, and Kyra Zaengle and Calinda Kok in the fifth flight. They are three of 80 pairs who earned this honor across all of collegiate beach volleyball.
Pater and Coakley earned this accolade for the second year in a row in the second flight, boasting a 16-0 record in this spot. These two also garnered MPSF Pair of the Week honors following a strong showing at the MPSF Midseason Rumble. These two have taken down some of the top teams in the NCAA, including Texas, Stanford and UCLA. This is the second year in a row they received the AVCA Top Flight award.
Henson and Wood also locked in a 14-2 record in the second flight, only dropping matches to Stanford and Cal Poly. These two received Most Outstanding Pair honors at the Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Beach Classic, going 6-0 to open the season.
Zaengle and Kok boasted a 20-3 record on the fifth flight this season, starting off the season with a 16-match win streak. They took down some of the top teams in the country in their flight, including UCLA, Texas and Cal.
These three pairs will be back in action tomorrow, May 2, during the NCAA Championship quarterfinal round, facing off against the fifth seed in Florida State.
To see the full list of recipients for this year's AVCA Top Flight award winner
The AVCA Top Flight award is given to pairs who played in at least 15 games in a particular flight and maintained a win percentage of 75 percent or better throughout the season. For USC, the three pairs were Ashley Pater and Kennedy Coakley on the second flight, Sarah Wood and Zoey Henson on the second flight, and Kyra Zaengle and Calinda Kok in the fifth flight. They are three of 80 pairs who earned this honor across all of collegiate beach volleyball.
Pater and Coakley earned this accolade for the second year in a row in the second flight, boasting a 16-0 record in this spot. These two also garnered MPSF Pair of the Week honors following a strong showing at the MPSF Midseason Rumble. These two have taken down some of the top teams in the NCAA, including Texas, Stanford and UCLA. This is the second year in a row they received the AVCA Top Flight award.
Henson and Wood also locked in a 14-2 record in the second flight, only dropping matches to Stanford and Cal Poly. These two received Most Outstanding Pair honors at the Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Beach Classic, going 6-0 to open the season.
Zaengle and Kok boasted a 20-3 record on the fifth flight this season, starting off the season with a 16-match win streak. They took down some of the top teams in the country in their flight, including UCLA, Texas and Cal.
These three pairs will be back in action tomorrow, May 2, during the NCAA Championship quarterfinal round, facing off against the fifth seed in Florida State.
To see the full list of recipients for this year's AVCA Top Flight award winner
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Beach Volleyball
/ Women's Beach Volleyball
/ Women's Beach Volleyball
/ Women's Beach Volleyball
/ Women's Beach Volleyball
/ Women's Beach Volleyball
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