Co-Director

Meagan Owusu

Meagan Owusu is entering her eighth season in charge of the Cal beach volleyball program in 2023-24.

Owusu is one of the rising stars in collegiate beach volleyball as she has inserted Cal's program into the national conversation of NCAA beach volleyball, the Bears finished the 2023 season in 7th place in the final AVCA poll, the sixth consecutive year that Cal has been a top-12 team at year's end. She has taken Cal to two-straight NCAA Championship appearances and led the program to it's first tournament win last season.

The 2023 season saw the Bears once again reach new heights by breaking the program wins record and finish the year with a record of 29-10. Reaching the NCAA Championship for the second-straight year, Cal won it's first tournament match defeating ninth-seeded Long Beach State 3-2, before falling in the second round to No. 1 UCLA 3-1. The Pac-12 Tournament also brought newfound success as the Bears reached the tournament final for the first time in program history with a second round win over No. 2 USC along the way. Newcomers Sierra Caffo and Liz Waters-Leiga were both named AVCA Second Team All-Americans, and seniors Ainsley Radell and Ashley Delgado joined them on the All-Pac-12 Team.

2022 was a landmark season for the Bears as they made their first-ever appearance at the NCAA Championship. Cal set a school record for wins as the Bears went 26-14, while recording six ranked victories. Cal also finished third at the Pac-12 tournament for the third time in the past four years under Owusu. Mima Mirkovic and Ana Costa were both named AVCA Second Team All-Americans. Lexi McKeown and Ella Dreibholz combined for 23 victories as a tandem, as the duo recorded the second-most wins in a season by a pair, despite both players being in their first season with the program. 

Owusu gave birth to triplets in the spring of 2020 and missed the entirety of the 2020 season on maternity leave. She left the program in October 2020, but was rehired to lead the program in July of 2021 after one season away. 

Owusu led the Bears to a No. 10 final national ranking in 2019. Cal completed the year with a 22-9 record, including eight wins vs. teams ranked in the AVCA poll. Cal finished the season by taking third place in the Pac-12. Mima Mirkovic was named an honorable mention All-American by both the AVCA and Volleyball Magazine. Jordan Polo earned the same honor from Volleyball Magazine and was tabbed as the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year. Mirkovic was named to the All-Pac-12 First Team while Polo and Caroline Schafer earned second team honors. 

Cal went 24-8 in 2018, easily the best record to date in the program's history. Cal finished No. 12 in the final AVCA Rankings and took third place in the ultra-competitive Pac-12.  Under Owusu's stewardship, Cal produced its first All-Americans in No. 5 pair Grace Campbell and Maddie Micheletti and first All-Pac-12 selections with First Team pick Mima Mirkovic and Second Team selection Iya Lindahl. The Bears have also risen to the occasion against the stiffest competition, knocking off a slew of ranked teams, including a victory over then-No. 4 USC last season.

In April of 2018, Owusu received the prestigious "Thirty Under 30" Award by the AVCA, which recognizes 30 up-and-coming coaching talents under the age of 30 across the country. In January of 2020, Owusu was named as an Under 40 Coaching Hotshot by Volleyball Magazine. 

Owusu has also established a cultural of excellence in the classroom, having produced 33 Pac-12 All-Academic selections, including four First Team picks. The Bears have also won the Newmark Award twice for having the highest cumulative GPA among all sports at Cal. In 2019, all nine student-athletes who met the playing standards to qualify for the All-Academic team were on the team. 

During the summer of 2021, Owusu was selected as the coach for the USA Collegiate Beach National Team at their annual camp. That came after she spent the summer of 2019 coaching with USA Volleyball as the High Performance coach for the U15A1 squad. She was charged with guiding some of the best young talent in the United States at an international championship event in Santa Monica.

Owusu, a Cal alum who is one of only two players ever to play in two NCAA Final Fours for the Bears' indoor team, returned to Cal as an Associate Head Coach in 2015 and was elevated to head coach the following season while Rich Feller was named Director of Volleyball. As Associate Head Coach, Owusu ran all the day-to-day operations of the program.

Owusu, formerly Meagan Schmitt, was a two-time Pac-12 All-Academic selection during her tenure as a defensive specialist for the Bears. She was a team captain in 2010 and helped Cal make its only two Final Four appearances in school history in 2007 and 2010. She also helped guide the Golden Bears to a pair of NCAA Elite Eight berths.

Immediately after graduating from Cal with a degree in American Studies and a minor in education, Owusu became a volunteer assistant coach for Loyola Marymount’s indoor team. She was promoted to full-time assistant the following year.

When Loyola Marymount debuted its sand volleyball program in 2013, Owusu became a full-time assistant coach for that program as well. She helped lead the Lions to a No. 8 final ranking in 2014 and twice led Loyola to the AVCA Sand National Championships. She also helped produce two AVCA San All-Americans.

As a full-time assistant for Loyola Marymount's indoor program in 2012, she helped lead the Lions to their first NCAA Tournament berth since 2005 with an 18-13 record. She was also instrumental in helping libero Betsi Metter earn West Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Year honors in back-to-back seasons.

Owusu received her Master's degree in Education from Loyola Marymount in 2014.

Owusu is married to former Cal football player Ernest Owusu, who played for the Bears from 2008-11 and the couple has triplets named Ruthie, Louie and Henry.