This is the third year in a row that a Tulane standout has earned the honor.
A major honor has just been announced for one Tulane Green Wave beach volleyball standout, and it exemplifies who this student-athlete is far beyond the court.
Skylar Ensign was named the Conference USA Scholar-Athlete of the Year for beach volleyball, the league announced on Thursday. It marks the third time that a Tulane player has claimed the award since the program joined CUSA in 2023: Sam Green received the honor following the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
Ensign has been remarkable in her academic and service pursuits. She currently holds a 3.8 grade point average, and she does volunteer work by tutoring local children through Cultivating Youth and planting trees with Sustain The Nine. Additionally, Ensign works as a sideline reporter with the Tulane men's basketball and indoor volleyball programs, contributes to LHSAA state championship football game broadcasts and serves as a color commentator for high school volleyball in the New Orleans area.
This is far from the first academic award for the Laguna Beach, California, native. She earned more conference honors by receiving the CUSA Commissioner's Academic Medal and Honor Roll recognition. Ensign was also named to the CSC Academic All-District list.
Not only was Ensign a force to be reckoned with in the classroom, she also displayed plenty of grit on the sand court. The junior was a major part of the Green Wave's historic season in which it won its first-ever CUSA Championship. The team went on to compete in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history. Ensign earned 17 total wins in the No. 1 position for her team and posted a 29-9 record between the top two flights. She notched the clinching win seven times in the 2026 campaign, and five of her victories were against ranked opponents.
Ensign also picked up athletic honors, including being named the CUSA Pair of the Tournament alongside partner Molly Trodd and earning All-CUSA First-Team recognition for the third consecutive season.
"We are extremely proud of the way Sky has been leading herself and our team throughout her journey here at Tulane," beach volleyball head coach Eyal Zimet said. "The dedication, intrinsic drive, passion and intentionality are evident within each day of Sky's journey, and we are grateful for the opportunity to be a part of it. Lots be achieved and strived for! Roll Wave!"
The Green Wave will look to build off of a historic season and take the program to new heights in 2027.
