Carmen's Dream Book
★ Dream Book · Vol. 1 ★
The Road to

UCDavis

A recruiting dream book for Carmen

Class of 2028 · Hawaiʻi Davis, California

Dream big. Work hard. Stay humble.

1 Watch this first

Meet your maybe-someday campus

Grab a snack and watch these in order. Together they're about 55 minutes — the closest thing to walking around Davis without a plane ticket.

2 Why UC Davis

A sunny college town that runs on bikes

A top public research university in a real college town — 20 minutes from Sacramento, a couple hours from both the coast and the Sierra.

Bike city
One of the most bike-friendly towns in America — you'll ride to class.
Top public
Nationally ranked, world-famous for science, sustainability & agriculture.
The Arboretum
A 100-acre garden winds right through the middle of campus.
Go Aggies
~40,000 students, NCAA Division I athletics, big school spirit.
3 Beach volleyball at Davis

Division I sand, right on campus

UC Davis sponsors Division I women's beach volleyball, playing on its own courts in Davis. Big West now — and beginning in 2027, joining the West Coast Conference as an affiliate alongside Pepperdine, LMU and Saint Mary's.

🌺 The Hawaiʻi connection

Your future coach is one of yours.

Head coach Ari Homayun is a University of Hawaiʻi alum — and the Rainbow Wahine's all-time leader in match wins, a four-time NCAA Championship player. She coached under Olympic gold medalist Todd Rogers at Cal Poly, then became the winningest coach in CSUN history before taking over at Davis in 2026. An island girl who built a program, now building one here.

118UH career wins
NCAA finals
2026Aggie era begins
D-I sand on campus Big WestWCC 2027 Academics first Roster from everywhere

The Aggies play home matches at the Davis Beach Volleyball Courts right on campus, and travel to programs like Cal Poly and Stanford. The roster pulls players from across California and beyond, studying everything from computer science to viticulture — proof you don't have to choose between the sand and a serious degree.

4 A day in the life

What a Tuesday could look like

Life as a student-athlete is a rhythm. Here's a make-believe Tuesday in the fall.

6:45a
Morning liftTeam weights before the day gets loud.
9:00a
Classes + bike sprintRide across the Arboretum to lecture.
12:30p
Lunch at the dining commonsRefuel with teammates.
2:30p
Practice on the sandReps, drills, and match play in the California sun.
5:30p
Study hall + recoveryHomework, ice, stretch, treatment.
7:00p
Team dinnerThe best part — your people, every day.
5 Recruited from the islands

Your Hawaiʻi story is an edge

"An island kid who plays year-round in the sun, travels to compete, and shows up humble — coaches notice that."

What to focus on over the next two years to give yourself the best shot:

6 When you're ready

Say hello to the coaches

No pressure, no rush — but when the reel's ready, two small steps put you on the staff's radar. Coaches love hearing from players who did their homework.

TO: UC Davis beach volleyball staff
SUBJECT: Recruit — Carmen Lo, Class of 2028
Dear Coach Homayun and staff,

My name is Carmen Lo. I'm a Class of 2028 beach
volleyball player from Hawaiʻi, and UC Davis is one
of my dream schools.

A few quick things about me:
 - Height / position:
 - Club / partner:
 - GPA:
 - Highlight reel (link):
 - Upcoming tournaments:

I'd love to stay in touch and learn what you look
for in a recruit. Thank you for your time!

With aloha,
Carmen Lo

The email button opens your mail app with a draft to Coach Homayun's staff — just fill in the blanks and hit send.

7 More dream schools

Keep your options wide open

UC Davis is the flagship of this book — but the best recruits fall in love with a handful of programs. Here are five more worth dreaming about, each with a real beach team and an honest look at the fit.

California Golden Bears

UC Berkeley

Berkeley, CA · MPSF
4 straight NCAAsTop-12 for 8 yearsWorld-class academics

Head coach Meagan Owusu — a Cal alum and one of only two Bears ever to reach two NCAA indoor Final Fours, now in her 10th season.

Why you'd love itA national-title-caliber beach program paired with one of the best public-university brands on earth, and direct flights home to the Bay.
!The honest partCool, foggy Bay weather means far less warm sand time, and the academics are demanding.
Explore the full Cal chapter