University of California-Riverside Volleyball

Branden Higa will enter his second season as head coach of UC Riverside Women's Volleyball in 2026. Higa comes to UC Riverside from California Baptist, where he built a winning tradition and compiled a 209-144 record (.592) in 13 seasons. Higa, who guided the Lancers through their transition to Division I, also spent two years as an assistant coach at Mississippi State, one at Loyola Marymount, and one at Lipscomb. Higa led CBU to earn 14 All-Western Athletic Conference (WAC) awards, including the 2024 Libero of the Year and the 2023 Freshman of the Year. The Lancers advanced to the WAC tournament every year they were eligible, and earned a NIVC berth in 2021. In the Division II era, Higa's Lancers enjoyed a No. 1 national ranking and the program's longest winning streak. Higa was named 2017 West Region and PacWest Coach of the Year after guiding CBU to a 20-0 conference mark and 29-1 overall record. Through that time, CBU garnered nine AVCA All-Americans, 15 All-Region honorees, and 25 All-Conference selections. Higa also served as an assistant coach under Dani Busboom-Kelly at the 2017 European Global Challenge in Croatia, winning the U23 Division. While at Mississippi State, he helped the Bulldogs to an improved record each year and finished third in the SEC West. At LMU, the Lions posted a 35-25 record. Higa played collegiately for three seasons under International Volleyball Hall of Famer Marv Dunphy at Pepperdine, earning a double major in international studies and publ

Desirée Sukhov enters her first year as an assistant coach with UC Riverside Women's Volleyball. Sukhov played professionally in Peru (2022) and Albania (2024) as an outside hitter, leading Regatas Lima to its second straight Peruvian Women's Volleyball League title and eighth overall. Sukhov completed an internship with the Director of Volleyball Operations at her alma mater of Fresno State in 2020-21. In the role, Sukhov focused on event planning, donor relationships, social media, team operations, and assisting the coaching staff. She was named to the 2019 Mountain West Academic All-Conference Team and was tabbed Mountain West Newcomer of the Year that year after leading the Bulldogs to their fourth top-six conference finish since 2012. Sukhov began her college career as a two-year starter at Cal State Bakersfield, leading the Roadrunners to a Western Athletic Conference title and an NCAA Tournament berth as a freshman in 2017. She also competed in beach volleyball at Bakersfield in the spring of 2018 and won nine matches at the No. 2 position while qualifying for the Big West tournament. Sukhov has been actively involved in the Fresno community and has coached at various volleyball clubs. She also earned her real estate license, and has practiced in California since July of 2022. Sukhov was born and raised in Murrieta.

Two-time AVCA All-American, four-time All-MPSF honoree, and Riverside native Maurice Torres joined the UC Riverside Women’s Volleyball coaching staff in August of