Trey Cruz Season 2026

Trey Cruz returned to LSU in April 2026 as the Associate Head Coach for the LSU indoor volleyball program.

Cruz will have his second full-time stint at LSU after serving as an assistant coach from 2018-2021. Cruz was also the first assistant coach for LSU Beach Volleyball, helping guide the program to consecutive 27-win seasons and top 10 national finishes in 2017-2018.

Prior to his return to Baton Rouge, Cruz was the Associate Head Coach and Recruiting Coordinator at Rice from 2023-2025. With the Owls, Cruz developed 13 American Conference selections and capped his time in Houston by helping Rice claim its first American Conference Regular Season Championship and a berth to the 2025 NCAA Tournament. As the defensive coordinator, Rice finished the 2025 campaign ranking No. 7 in the nation with 17.43 digs per set, and ranked No. 2 in the American with 2.36 blocks per set and a .187 opposing hitting percentage. Standout players he developed includes middle blocker Arissa Smith, who led the American Conference with 1.27 blocks per set and 133 total blocks, and Gaby Mansfield who ranked No. 2 in the league with 4.57 digs per set. Rice posted a 58-29 record in Cruz’s three seasons with the program.

During his last trip in Baton Rouge (2018-2021) Cruz developed five All-SEC selections, including Taylor Bannister and Raigen Cianciulli, who are the program’s all-time leaders in kills and digs, respectively.

Cruz has also had stops at Tulane (2022) and UL Lafayette (2015-16) during his coaching career.

A native of Houma, La., Cruz earned both his bachelor’s degree (2013) and master’s degree (2015) from LSU.

Cruz is married to Kristen Nuss Cruz, a 2024 USA Beach Volleyball Olympian, and is the LSU Beach Volleyball program’s all-time winningest player with 136 career victories.