Bucknell University Athletics
10/22/2026 1:10:00 PM | Volleyball
LEWISBURG, Pa.- Riley Tucker '26 was announced today by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) as a recipient of its prestigious AVCA-The Marines Battles Won Award. The 2026 AVCA-The Marines Battles Won Award recognizes volleyball players and coaches who are overcoming obstacles on and off the court.
AVCA Release/Video
Tucker, who played middle blocker for the Bison from 2023 to 2025, graduated in three years while navigating two devastating family losses. She lost her stepfather on Aug. 1, 2025 two days before reporting for fall camp. He had spent nine months in the ICU after suffering an aortic aneurysm during the 2024 Patriot League Tournament. Her father passed away on Oct. 13 from colon cancer during the heart of the volleyball season. Tucker overcame the grief of both tragedies to continue her excellent play on the court and her exceptional academic brilliance off the court.
In 2025, Tucker recorded 134 kills while hitting .266, the team's second-best mark, and led Bucknell with 80 blocks. She was a key part of Bucknell's late rally to earn entry into the Patriot League Tournament for the fourth consecutive season.
Her 2025 season and career were profiled in this Tales from the Herd.
In the classroom, Tucker graduated in three years with a degree in Biology and a minor in Dance and a 3.86 GPA. She earned Academic All-Patriot League honors and CSC Academic All-District laurels.
Alongside her athletic and academic commitments, Tucker participated in numerous campus organizations, including Alpha Alpha Alpha, the Pre-Health Society and the Society of Physics Students. She also served as president of BisonCares and as a choreographer and dancer in Bucknell's dance department, while participating in Chi Omega, Women in STEM, the Biology Club and Circle K. If that full plate schedule wasn't enough, she added another commitment to her schedule, joining the cheerleading squad during her final semester.
In her video interview, Tucker acknowledged the role played by Bucknellians:
"I'm thankful I was able to turn to teammates, to staff, and to professors. They were truly there for me. They really did step up and I don't even think they knew why they needed to, but they did."
Part of Tucker's grieving process was powering through and keeping busy, navigating the difficulties of loss while continuing to move forward.
"I honestly just didn't give myself any other option but to continue," Tucker recalled. "I decided I would keep doing the next thing that I needed to do, from class to practice to games. I ended up not missing a single class, lab, practice or game, and I remember telling myself there was no real reason to have gone home because those people I had lost were closer to me then than they ever had been before anyway."
As a first-generation college student, Tucker became part of Bucknell's first-generation community. Tucker is currently playing at Tulane, where she sits 36th nationally in hitting percentage (.389) and is on track to earn a Master of Science in Cell and Molecular Biology. Under the new NCAA framework of 5 for 5, she plans to play another season and earn a Master of Science in Physiology. Afterwards, Tucker plans to enroll in medical school to study oncology or women's healthcare. Oncology, the study of cancer, is especially close to Tucker's interests due to her father's death from colon cancer.
"I also kept in mind that one of my father's biggest goals was for me to go to college, especially as I am a first-generation student, and he always told me to stay in school for as long as I could," she said. "Keeping all this in mind helped me continue succeeding in many ways during that time."
Every moment in life teaches a lesson if someone is willing to learn. Tucker, a consummate student, discovered, while volleyball remained extremely important to her, what happened on the court would no longer determine her entire week. It is a lesson that many in a sports-crazed America from coaches to players to fans grapple with. That sports, while extremely important and fulfilling, are not omnipresent.
"My experience detailed in this award in addition to my Bucknell experience helped me learn how to separate different aspects of life and remain focused on whatever I was doing at that moment," Tucker observed. "I would never let one part of my life be my whole life, or allow it to be what defined me as a person. For example, a hard mental day wouldn't determine what I could bring into practice that day. A difficult weekend with volleyball no longer could determine my entire week. I realized that I am made up of so many experiences and abilities that all mold me into the person I am becoming, so I am not defined by one hard day or tough period of my life. These experiences made me more grateful for every happy moment. Now I recognize moments where I feel loved, supported, and joyful more so than I did before, and I continue to become more successful because of that gratitude."
As part of this award, which is in its fourth year, the AVCA gathered nominations and is proud to present the stories of 15 individuals—five coaches and 10 players—in the volleyball community who have faced hardships and come back strong. Their stories are being shared every Thursday this fall from Oct. 15 to Nov. 19.
At the AVCA Convention in San Antonio this December, two of the honorees will be presented with the 2026 AVCA-The Marines Battles Won Award.
