The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Staff Directory
- Title:
- Associate Head Coach, Beach Volleyball
- Email:
- Phone:
- 512-471-9148
Angie Akers has helped elevate Texas Beach Volleyball into one of the nation's premier programs, bringing championship experience as both an elite international competitor and Olympic Gold Medal-winning coach. Promoted to associate head coach in 2025 after joining the Longhorns in 2023, Akers has been instrumental in Texas’ rise to two conference championships, two NCAA Championship appearances and the program’s first NCAA Championship semifinal appearance.
In 2026, Akers played a key role in guiding Texas to its most successful season in program history. The Longhorns captured the MPSF Championship Tournament, including two victories over top-ranked UCLA, before advancing to the NCAA Championship semifinals for the first time in program history. Texas finished the season with a program-best 28-7 record, while Akers helped develop Brecht Piersma and Katie Hashman into the program’s first AVCA Collegiate Beach All-Americans. The duo was also named the MPSF Championship Most Valuable Pair, and Texas placed six student-athletes on the All-MPSF Team, four on the MPSF All-Tournament Team and three on the All-Freshman Team.
Akers helped lead a breakthrough campaign in 2025 ,as Texas posted a 28-10 record, captured the CCSA Championship and earned the program’s first NCAA Championship berth in its first season of postseason eligibility. The Longhorns defeated Cal in the opening round before falling to eventual national champion TCU in the quarterfinals. Texas also produced four All-CCSA selections and two All-Freshman Team honorees.
In her first season with the Longhorns in 2023–24, Akers helped establish the foundation for the program’s rapid rise, assisting Texas to its first win over a nationally ranked opponent with a 4-1 victory over No. 20 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in the season finale.
Akers was promoted to associate head coach on May 29, 2025, after serving as an assistant coach since joining the program on May 31, 2023.
Prior to Texas, Akers served as Assistant Head Coach at Loyola Marymount, where she helped lead the Lions to back-to-back West Coast Conference Championships and consecutive top-five finishes in the final AVCA Collegiate Beach Poll. In 2023, LMU posted a 29-9 record and secured its fourth straight WCC title, with the program’s No. 1 pair of Melanie Paul and Vilhelmiina Prihti earning AVCA First Team All-America honors. In 2022, the Lions set a program record with 32 wins and finished ranked No. 4 nationally, while the duo of Reka Orsi Toth and Megan Rice earned AVCA First Team All-America recognition.
Akers also brings Olympic gold medal experience as a coach, having guided the United States duo of April Ross and Alix Klineman to the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games gold medal. The pair won gold without dropping a set, capping their run with a victory over Australia in the championship match.
Her international coaching background includes work with the Netherlands national beach program from 2015–20, where she helped lead the team to qualification for the 2016 Rio Olympics and a gold medal at the 2018 European Championships.
As a player, Akers competed professionally on the AVP Tour from 2002-13, earning 2002 AVP Rookie of the Year honors, and competed on the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour from 2009-12, where she was named 2009 FIVB Rookie of the Year. She also trained with the U.S. Beach National Team from 2009-12.
A standout collegiate athlete at Notre Dame from 1994-97, Akers finished her career as the program’s all-time leader in service aces (239) and second in kills (1,577). She graduated from Notre Dame in 1998.
In addition to her standout volleyball career, Akers qualified for and completed the 2001 Boston Marathon in 3:24.
Akers and her husband, former Notre Dame All-American offensive lineman Jeremy Akers, have three children.
