Swim & Dive Declares 4 Signings for the 2026-27 Roster

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee has announced the signing of four new members for the upcoming 2026-27 roster, with a pair of transfers and two incoming freshmen joining the men’s side.

 

From the portal, Julian Koch (Pitt) and Vova Gavrysh (McKendree) will suit up for the Vols next season. The team also added Brody Chandler, a junior national champion, as well as Juan Manuel Lopez Gomez, a multiple time junior Colombian champion diver. Below is a breakdown of each of Tennessee newest additions:

 

Julian Koch – Junior – Free/Fly – Dubai, United Arab Emirates

 

One of the top swimmers nationally in 2026, Koch spent his first two collegiate seasons at Pitt. Koch represented the Panthers at the 2026 NCAA Championships, where he placed fourth in the 100 Free while setting a personal best time of 40.43 in the final. Koch also placed eighth in the 100 Fly, setting another personal best with a 43.85. He captured the bronze medal for the Panthers in the 100 Fly at the ACC Championships, which marked his first individual medal of his collegiate career. The rising junior finished the 2026 season ranked in the top ten nationally in the 100 Free (fourth, 40.43), 100 Fly (seventh, 43.85), and 50 Free (ninth, 18.65). He has captured international success while representing Germany, winning silver medals at the European Junior and U23 Championships.

 

Vova Gavrysh – Junior – Free/Fly – Kiev, Ukraine

 

A Division II record-holder, Gavrysh brings a championship pedigree to Tennessee. Gavrysh is coming off a pair of national championships at the 2026 NCAA DII Championships, taking the crown in the 200 Free and 200 Fly. Gavrysh broke the DII record in the 200 Free with a time of 1:32.40. The Ukrainian international won three gold medals at the Great Lakes Valley Conference Championships, taking conference titles in the 100 Free, 200 Free, and 200 Fly. He held the top times in all of Division II in the 200 Free and 200 Fly, while also sitting fourth this season in the 100 Free.

 

Brody Chandler – Free/Fly – Roseville, Calif.

 

Ranked as one of the top swimmers nationally, The Vols secured the addition of a major recruit late in the 2026 class in Chandler. Ranked as the No. 20 recruit in the nation by SwimSwam, Chandler has been a Junior National Team member and a junior national champion in the 50 Free at the Speedo Junior National Championships. At the 2025 Winter Junior Championships, Chandler placed fourth in the 100 Free and sixth in the 50 Free. Chandler is a three-time Scholastic All-American while also being an NISCA All-American in the 50 & 100 Free in both 2024 and 2025.

Top Times: 50 Free (19.82), 100 Free (43.12), 200 Free (1:36.74), 100 Fly (48.80)

 

Juan Manuel Lopez Gomez – Diving – Cali, Colombia

 

A diver with multiple medas internationally in the junior ranks, Lopez Gomez will join the Vols for the 2026-27 campaign. He brings high level success to the Tennessee diving program, heading to Knoxville as a multiple time junior national champion. Lopez Gomez was a Junior South American Champion back in 2021 and collected a silver medal at the 2021 Pan-American Championships. He also placed in the top five in the platform while representing his home nation Colombia at the 2022 World Junior Diving Championships.