Boca Raton
More than 70 percent of FAU's 29,000 students take classes at FAU's first and largest campus, and the majority of the University's 170+ degree programs are based here. Located 1.8 miles from the Atlantic Ocean and the beautiful beaches of Boca Raton, the campus features everything you would expect from a modern university – suite-style housing for more than 4,500 students, brand-new athletics and recreational facilities, art galleries, a cafe/movie theater complex and so much more — all in a vibrant, tropical setting with a student body that is the most diverse among Florida's public universities.
Florida Atlantic
Program Accolades
- 6 AVCA All-Americans
- Two two-time AVCA All-Americans
- Eight AVCA Top Flight winners
- Three NCAA Championship Appearances (2022, 2023, 2025)
- 2025 CUSA Champions
- 2023 CUSA Champions
- 2021 CCSA Champions
- Three-time CUSA Coach of the Year (2022, 2023, 2025)
- Three-time CUSA Pair of the Year (2022, 2023, 2025)
- Four-time CCSA/CUSA Freshman of the Year
- 2023 AVCA Team Academic Award
- Olympian Head Coach (2012 London Olympics)
- 2022 AVCA Assistant Coach of the Year (Grotowski)
- Two-time AVCA Thirty Under 30 Award Recipient Assistant Coach
- Six Alumni Playing Pro (Julie Honzovicova, Marketa Svozilova, Mikaya Law-Heese, Erica Brok, Megan Rice, Kristi Tekavec)
Meet the Coaches
Head Coach Steve Grotowski
Steve Grotowski was named head coach in July of 2022 after serving as the program’s assistant coach since 2015.
In three seasons as head coach, Grotowski has led the Sandy Owls to two winning seasons, including a 21-win season in 2025, two CUSA Championships (2023, 2025), and two NCAA Tournament appearances (2023, 2025).
Under Coach Grotowski's leadership, the Sandy Owls have achieved great success, highlighted by one of the winningest seasons in program history in 2025, capturing the 2025 CUSA Championship and earning the program’s third NCAA Championship appearance. The Sandy Owls finished the season at 21-15 overall, marking the program’s fourth 20-win season and tying for the second-most single-season wins in program history. It was also one of the most decorated seasons in program history, including Grotowski receiving his second CUSA Coach of the Year honor. The Sandy Owls also earned numerous awards, including two AVCA All-American honors, marking just the seventh and eighth All-Americans in program history, CUSA Pair of the Year, four AVCA Top Flight honors, five CUSA All-Conference honors, two CUSA All-Freshman Team honors, CUSA Pair of the Tournament, and four CUSA All-Tournament team honors.
In his first year leading the Sandy Owls, FAU beach volleyball had a tremendous season in 2023. The CUSA Coach of the Year guided the Sandy Owls to their second conference championship and first CUSA title in program history, in addition to leading Florida Atlantic to its second-ever NCAA Championship appearance. The Sandy Owls also earned CUSA Pair of the Year, CUSA Co-Freshman of the Year, four CUSA All-Conference First Team honors, and two CUSA All-Freshman Team honors following their impressive 2023 campaign.
In 2022, the Sandy Owls produced a historic season with a school-record 23 wins and the program’s first NCAA Beach Volleyball Championship appearance. As the acting head coach at the tournament, Grotowski led the No. 8-seeded Owls to a 3-0 opening-round win over ninth-seed Stanford to mark the program’s first-ever NCAA Tournament win. The Sandy Owls advanced to the Elite 8 and finished the 2022 season with a No. 8 ranking in the AVCA and CBVB national polls. Without a surprise, Grotowski was tabbed the AVCA National Assistant Coach of the Year, the first national coaching award achieved by an FAU beach volleyball coach.
Grotowski played a role in the incredible career achieved by Erica Brok/Mackenzie Morris. The all-time winningest pair in FAU history, with 95 victories together, ended their FAU career as two-time AVCA First Team All-America selections, three-time AVCA Top Flight honors, All-2022 CUSA Pair of the Year, CCSA Co-Freshman of the Year, as well as a large list of other honors. Grotowski was also instrumental in the development of the 2022 CUSA Freshman of the Year, Julie Honzovicova, as well as CUSA First Team Pair, Courtney Moon/Marketa Svozilova.
Grotowski played professional beach volleyball on the AVP and internationally on the FIVB World Tour for over a decade. In 2012, Grotowski earned a berth to the London Olympics where he competed for his native Great Britain.
In addition to an extensive playing career, he has also coached junior volleyball for boys and girls since 2000. He currently runs VB Beach volleyball club.
Born in London, England, Grotowski has lived in South Florida for over 25 years. He resides in Boynton Beach with his two children, Cayd and Kyah. His late wife, Capri, was the program's head coach from 2014 until her passing from cancer in 2022. The team's annual Capri Classic tournament is held in her memory.
Coach Kristi Tekavec
Former Florida Atlantic University volleyball (2013-17) and beach volleyball (2019) student-athlete Kristi Tekavec joined the beach volleyball staff as an assistant coach in 2020.
Throughout her time on staff, she has been instrumental in transforming the beach volleyball program into a national contender, achieving three NCAA Championship appearances (2022, 2023, 2025), three Conference titles (2021, 2023, 2025), and a program-best No. 8 AVCA national ranking (2022).
The Sandy Owls had one of their winningest seasons in program history in 2025, capturing the 2025 CUSA Championship and earning the program’s third NCAA Championship appearance. The Sandy Owls finished the season tying for the second-most single-season wins in program history. One of the most decorated seasons in program history, the Sandy Owls earned numerous awards, including two AVCA All-American honors, CUSA Pair of the Year, four AVCA Top Flight honors, five CUSA All-Conference honors, two CUSA All-Freshman Team honors, CUSA Pair of the Tournament, and four CUSA All-Tournament team honors.
2023 also marked a tremendous season for FAU beach volleyball. Tekavec helped guide the Sandy Owls to their second conference championship, in addition to leading Florida Atlantic to its second NCAA Championship appearance. The Sandy Owls also earned CUSA Pair of the Year, CUSA Co-Freshman of the Year, four CUSA All-Conference First Team honors, and two CUSA All-Freshman Team honors.
In just her third season with the program in 2022, Tekavec was instrumental in helping lead the Sandy Owls to the best season in program history, recording a school-record 23 wins, culminating in the program’s first NCAA Championship Elite 8 appearance. Eighth-seed FAU defeated ninth-seed Stanford, 3-0, in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament to mark the Owls’ first win at nationals. The Owls ended the season with their best ranking in school history, slotting in at No. 8 in the AVCA and CBVB national polls.
With Tekavec’s help, the Sandy Owls have been recognized with numerous accolades, including four AVCA All-Americans (Erica Brok, Mackenzie Morris, Ashleigh Adams, and Marketa Svozilova), including Brok and Morris being tabbed as the program’s only two-time AVCA All-Americans, four AVCA Top Flight selections, three CUSA Pair of the Year accolades, 2 Conference USA Freshman of the Year honors, 16 First Team All-Conference honorees, 8 All-Freshman Team honorees, 2023 AVCA Team Academic Award, and 2 AVCA National Pair of the Week honors. Tekavec herself has been a two-time AVCA Thirty Under 30 Award recipient.
Tekavec is an active competitor on the professional beach volleyball tour and was a five-year player on the Owls’ indoor volleyball team and concluded her collegiate playing career as a member of the beach team. Tekavec graduated from Florida Atlantic, receiving her bachelor’s degree in Communications Studies and Sociology in 2017 and her master’s degree in Higher Education Leadership in 2020.
As a former student-athlete, she brings a deep commitment to holistic athlete development, championing academic excellence, mental and physical well-being, leadership, and service as the foundation of a strong team culture. At Florida Atlantic University, these values were central to both her experience as a player and as a coach. Her coaching philosophy focuses on creating an environment where athletes thrive—with joy, confidence, and a profound sense of purpose. Driven by a passion for mentorship, she is dedicated to developing athletes not only as competitors but as well-rounded individuals. Through intentional guidance and personalized growth strategies, her mission extends beyond building winning teams—she aims to create transformative experiences. Her vision is to cultivate elite student-athletes who are also future leaders, prepared to make a meaningful and lasting impact in the world.
On-Campus Living
Innovation Village Apartments
Innovation Village Apartments South (IVAS) is an apartment building consisting of four bedroom/ two bath apartment units for upperclass, graduate, and transfer students. All apartments contain two bathrooms, a shared kitchen with full size cooktop/oven, dishwasher, microwave and refrigerator. Shared living room area and laundry in unit. Each student has a private single bedroom.
Innovation Village Apartments North (IVAN) is an apartment building consisting of four bedroom or two bedroom apartment units for upperclass, graduate, and medical students. All apartments contain two bathrooms, and a shared kitchen/living room area. Each student has a private single bedroom.
Each bedroom is equipped with unlimited access Ethernet connections and cable TV via streaming. Innovation Village Apartments North and South include front desk operation, fitness room (located in Innovation South), computer lab (located in Innovation South), multipurpose room with large-screen TV, study lounges/conference rooms, while IVAN exclusively includes laundry in unit (washer & dryer).
The Innovation Village Courtyard (shared by Innovation North and Innovation South) also has a community swimming pool, sand volleyball court, barbecue grills, and picnic tables.
Indian River Towers
Indian River Towers (IRT) a suite-style residence hall consisting of both double and single rooms for first-time college students. All suites feature a living area, one bathroom and two vanity facilities.
Each bedroom is equipped with unlimited access Ethernet connections and cable via streaming. Indian River Towers also offers a 24-hour desk operation, community kitchen, classroom, computer lab, multipurpose room with large-screen TV, laundry facilities, and study lounges.
Enhancing the student experience, IRT is located adjacent to the barbecue pits and sand volleyball court. It offers unique amenities, such as a two-story lofted lobby area and a furnished sun deck.
Who is Florida Atlantic Beach Volleyball and What's Important to Us?
Who is Florida Atlantic Beach Volleyball?
At the core of this program is our culture. It is the most important piece to what we do here, and it has been a huge reason why we have been as successful as we have been. Our team values of respect, gratitude and confidence, play a crucial role in how we operate and what we expect of our players. The key to our culture and something that we preach on an everyday basis, is that we do our best; at all things, all opportunities and all choices that we make. The legacy that our players leave in this program is what type of teammate and human being they were while they were here. That is exactly why we push our team to work their hardest every day, be vulnerable and be a good person. FAU Beach Volleyball is a family, we bring the energy, we play with creativity, we have fun and we like to get competitive. What makes FAU Beach Volleyball different from other programs is our family-like culture and our ability to care for each and every individual on our roster whole heartedly. Our goal as a coaching staff is to make the overall well-being of our athletes our #1 priority. We look after our athletes from a volleyball, academics, weight room training, nutrition, mental health and physical health standpoint. The overall goal is to keep our players happy, as we find they play their best when they believe and trust in the system that we have created here. We take great pride in the kind of atmosphere that we provide for our team. At FAU, our players thrive in this environment and find a new love for the game.
Our Values
- Community service and giving back
- Team academics
- Having fun
- Loving one another
- Being grateful and respectful