Preview: Swim & Dive Begins 2025-26 Season at Texas

This marks the primary time the 2 packages have met throughout the common season for the reason that 2018-19 season, when the Longhorns and the Vols met in Knoxville. The males got here up simply quick in that twin again on Nov. 9, 2018, falling by a rating of 156.5-143.5.

The Lady Vols start the season ranked No. 4 within the CSCAA ballot, with the boys checking in on the No. 6 spot. 

There is plenty of pleasure on the Lady Vol aspect, with a number of prime rivals getting back from final season’s squad. 11-time all-American Camille Spink is again for her junior season. Spink helped the 800m relay crew earn a podium end at NCAAs for the fourth consecutive season. She turned the primary Lady Vol to medal within the 100 Free since 2008, incomes a bronze medal with a time of 46.68. Spink cleaned up ultimately season’s SEC Championships, incomes 5 gold medals. She turned the primary SEC swimmer to win back-to-back 50 free championships since former Lady Vol Erika Brown did it thrice from 2018-20. Joining Spink is McKenzie Siroky, who returns for her sophomore season after three all-American performances a season in the past and three medals at SECs. Siroky earned a pair of silver medals within the 100 Breast and as a member of the 100 Medley Relay crew, whereas additionally selecting up bronze within the 200 Breast ultimately season’s SEC Championships. Also returning for the Lady Vols is Sophie Brison, who took dwelling bronze within the 200 BAck behind the third-best mark in program historical past.

The males additionally look to get again into motion with a number of prime rivals from a season in the past. Gui Caribe returns to Rocky Top for his ultimate season, considered one of two returners from a 200 and 400 Freestyle Relay crew that set the NCAA Record in each occasions en path to gold medals. Caribe is coming off a pair of third-place finishes within the 50 and 100 freestyle ultimately 12 months’s NCAA Championship as properly. Joining Caribe from these relay groups is Nikoli Blackman, who additionally certified for each the 100 and 200 free on the NCAA meet. Martin Espernberger is again in 2025-26, coming off his second straight medal within the 200 Fly on the SEC Championships. Espernberger took a fifth place end within the 200 Fly at NCAAs, the very best end for a Vol within the occasion since Melvin Stewart received the occasion in 1991. Sophomore diver Bennett Greene is again after a powerful freshman season. Green earned the very best end within the 1-meter competitors at NCAAs for a Vol since Matthew Wade in 2021 and the primary freshman since Wade in 2019. Green additionally received bronze in 3-meter diving on the SEC Championships, changing into the primary UT freshman to win a medal within the occasion since Liam Stone took gold in 2015.

The males’s crew additionally welcomes newcomer Gabe Nunziata for this season. Nunziata was one of many prime breaststrokers this previous 12 months, taking bronze within the 200 Breast on the 2025 USA Swimming National Championships. Nunziata can be coming off a pair of medals on the Junior World Championships, taking silver within the 100 Mixed Medley and bronze within the 200 Breast. Juliana Bocksa joins the Lady Vols this season. Last November, she received bronze within the 200 free on the German Short Course Championships. She additionally positioned fifth within the 50 free on the 2024 European Aquatics Junior Championships.

Three swimmers have been additionally named to the nationwide crew roster this season, with the aforementioned Siroky and Nunziata joined by switch Kamal Muhammad. They be part of a listing of swimmers from throughout the nation to be named to the roster for the 2025-26 calendar. Muhammad joins this system from Virginia. He positioned fifth general within the 50-meter fly and was sixth within the 100 fly at U.S. National Championships, clocking personal-best marks in each occasions.