BEAUMONT, Texas — As the season quickly approaches, the Lamar University volleyball program added a new player to its roster.

Riley Johnson, a middle blocker and transfer from the University of Arkansas – Pine Bluff, is the latest addition.

The season begins in 52 days with an exhibition match against Texas State on Aug. 23.

Ariel Apolinario enters his second season at the helm after leading the program to a 15-14 overall record and an appearance in the Southland Conference tournament in 2024.

It marked LU's first postseason appearance since 2011.

Riley Johnson, 6-foot-0, MB, Pearland, Texas / Glenda Dawson HS

Johnson is a native of Pearland and a former three-year letterman at Glenda Dawson High School.

She spent last fall redshirting as a sophomore at Arkansas – Pine Bluff.

Previously, she appeared in five matches and 11 sets at the University of California, Riverside, where she tallied four kills, one dig, one blocked shot and one block assist as a freshman.

She had a game-high two kills and two total blocks in a match against Nevada on Sept. 9, 2023.

In high school, Johnson was a three-time recipient of the Soaring Eagle award while she helped lead her team to three consecutive playoff appearances from 2020-2022.

She also guided her team to a pair of regional semifinal berths in 2021 and 2020. In addition, she was named Most Valuable Player at the Manvel tournament.

At the club level, Johnson finished in the top 10 at the USA Volleyball Nationals. 

Apolinario on Johnson: "One of the nice things about Riley is that she has playing experience at the Division I level. She does a nice job blocking fast plays at the net and we believe that will help our team. Moreover, we heard good things about her from previous coaches noting that she is a good academic student, coachable and passionate about the game. We believe those characteristics will make her successful at Lamar."