JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -  The Jacksonville University Beach Volleyball Team announced Monday the hiring of Savannah Siegrist as the team's new assistant coach. Siegrist returns to the JU coaching staff after a brief stint as the head coach of the Men's Beach Volleyball Program at Webber International University, after serving as an assistant coach at JU during the 2024 season.

Siegrist steps into the role of assistant coach under head coach Dylan Hough, who enters his fifth season at the helm of the program. A native of Davidsonville, Maryland, Siegrist began her playing career at Jacksonville University, where she led the Dolphins in wins as part of the top pairing during her freshman season. She recorded impressive victories over ranked opponents including North Florida and South Carolina. After transferring to the University of Oregon, she played three seasons and tallied 29 career wins. Siegrist earned both her bachelor's and master's degrees in Sports Business from Oregon.

With the recent hiring of Dolphin legend Emily Kubicsko, JU Beach Volleyball is poised to have a well-rounded staff heading into the 2025 season.

"We couldn't be happier to welcome Savannah back to the JU Beach Volleyball staff for the 2025-2026 season," Hough said. "Her love for the sport, commitment to our athletes and head coaching background will be an incredible asset to our program."

Siegrist has been coaching beach volleyball since 2016, working with clubs such as South River Volleyball Club, Grit Volleyball, Dynamic Volleyball Academy, Oregon Sand Volleyball and Sandsharks Beach Volleyball. She played an important role in the early years of USAV Beach High Performance, competing with the A2 National Team and the Chesapeake Region (CHRVA) team, and later coaching CHRVA's development team. Most recently at Webber International, Siegrist led the team to a third place finish at the AVCA Men's National Championship.

"I am very excited to be returning to JU Beach," Siegrist said. "Jacksonville and this team have always held my heart. I am very thankful to Dylan for inviting me back. I can't wait to get on the sand with the team and see how much we can accomplish this year!"

Siegrist joins a staff energized to elevate the program to new heights. The Dolphins aim to build on the momentum from the past two seasons, which stand as the most successful in Jacksonville University history, with 13 victories in 2023 and 12 more in 2024.