Editor’s note: This story is published in the Austin Sports Journal’s 2025 Austin Volleyball Preview™, only available to subscribers. It is part of the 20-page college preview inside the magazine that previews all major Division I and Division II colleges in the state.
By Harris Pemberton
Austin Sports Journal contributing writer
UTSA enters the season on the heels of a second-to-last-place finish in the American Athletic Conference.
If the Roadrunners hope to improve on last year’s 5-11 mark in conference play, they will have to do so with a revamped roster.
UTSA lost eight players from last year’s roster – three to graduation and five to the transfer portal. Among the players lost are three that played significant minutes, including Mia Soerensen (Vanderbilt), Annika Sokol (Maryland) and Kai Bailey (Eastern Carolina).
Sorensen led the team in kills (299) and blocks (109), Bailey was second on the team in hitting efficiency (.302) and blocks (95) and Sokal was the team’s leader in assists (516).
“The big thing for our girls right now is just being a standout in conference so we can make the conference tournament,” head coach Carol Price-Torok said. “I think once you’re there, anything can happen.”
For UTSA to rebound from a rough 2024, Price-Tork will have to have young roster mature quickly and get strong leadership from the two seniors on the roster – Caroline Krueger and setter Ilaria Durante.
Krueger has been a key piece in UTSA’s offense throughout the past three seasons. She is the top returning offensive player for the Roadrunners with 188 kills as a junior. Krueger will be complimented on the outside by sophomore Ally Tribe, a 6-1 outside hitter from Columbus that played a significant role as a freshman with 175 kills.
A pair of Liberty Hill High Scholl standouts will look to bolster UTSA’s offensive attack. Vanderbilt transfer GiGi Mason, a redshirt freshman, and true freshman Taylor Gaines will see significant playing time as Price-Tork looks to fill a void by Soerensen’s departure.
Price-Tork had high praises for Gaines’ potential as the 6-0 outside hitter brings a big swing on the outside. Gaines and Mason were teammates on Liberty Hill’s 2023 run to the Class 5A state championship game and 2022 run to the 5A semifinals.
Megan Hawkins, a standout at New Braunfels Canyon, returns to south Texas after playing last year at Louisiana. The 5-8 sophomore setter is expected to challenge for the open starting role with Bailey’s departure. She’ll be challenged by Durante, a 5-10 senior transfer from Charleston Southern.
“It’s going to be really, really fun to watch the team, and not just the six players that are on the court, the ones that are on the bench, too,” Price-Torok said. “I just think UTSA in general is on the up and up, and I think people are starting to see that with all of our athletics. It’s really fun to be a part of it.”
The Roadrunners open their season at home on Aug. 29 against Stephen F. Austin at the UTSA Invitational. UTSA then plays Texas State on Aug. 30. Both matches are set for 6 p.m. at the Convocation Center.
Projected starters
OH – Caroline Krueger (#14), 6-0, sr., St. John, Indiana
OH – Ally Tribe (#5), 6-1, soph., Columbus, Texas
OPP – Gigi Mason (#9), 5-11, r-fr., Liberty Hill, Texas
MB – Caroline Tredwell (#4), 6-2, soph., Flower Mound, Texas
MB – Miranda Putnicki (#13), 6-4, jr., Gunter, Texas
L – Peyton Turner (#8), 5-5, jr., Naperville, Illinois
S – Megan Hawkins (#12), 5-8, soph., New Braunfels, Texas
Breakout candidate
Megan Hawkins, soph. S
At Louisiana, Hawkins played 97 sets and had 536 assists, 248 digs and 30 aces. The former New Braunfels Canyon standout was an AVCA All-American in high school and had over 3,000 assists in her high school career. Hawkins has the talent and skill to run the Roadrunners offense and could be set for a breakout season.
Our take
The roster boasts a lot of young players with a lot of potential, but that doesn’t always equal wins right away. With essentially a new roster, UTSA’s best case scenario is qualifying for the conference tournament and making a deep run. The challenge will be molding this team into a cohesive unit and building chemistry early. Getting some early wins before AAC play starts on Sept. 25 will be the key to a successful season in San Antonio.
