Cleary Honored for Impact Beyond the Sand
June 09, 2026 | Beach Volleyball
DALLAS - Missouri State beach volleyball student-athlete Amanda Cleary has been named a spring recipient of Conference USA's Spirit of Service Award, recognizing her commitment to community service, academic excellence and participation in her sport.
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The Spirit of Service Award honors student-athletes who demonstrate significant community service, maintain good academic standing and actively participate in their sport. Each Conference USA institution nominates one student-athlete per season, with spring honorees representing baseball, men's and women's golf, softball, beach volleyball, outdoor track and field and men's and women's tennis.
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A senior from Barrington, Ill., Cleary has been active in a variety of service efforts throughout the community and on campus. Her outreach includes work with Convoy of Hope, the Springfield Dream Center, the Salvation Army and Missouri State's Bear Pantry, where she helped stock shelves to support efforts against food insecurity on campus. She has also served through Missouri State's peer leader program.
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Cleary has also excelled in the classroom while pursuing a nursing degree. She owns a 3.88 cumulative GPA and has earned the CUSA Commissioner's Academic Medal three times. Cleary has also been named to the CUSA Commissioner's Honor Roll twice, the Missouri State Athletic Director's Honor Roll seven times and the CUSA Beach Volleyball All-Academic Team in 2025 and 2026.
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On the sand, Cleary capped her Missouri State career with one of the strongest seasons in program history. The senior earned All-CUSA second team honors after finishing 24-6 alongside MacKenzie Steele at Flight 2. The pair closed the season on a 15-match winning streak and extended their program-record mark to 63-23, finishing as the winningest pair in Missouri State beach volleyball history.
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Cleary also helped lead the Bears to one of the best seasons in program history. Missouri State finished 24-6 for the second-most wins in a single season, opened the year with a program-best 14-0 start, went 9-0 at home and earned its first postseason win with a 3-2 victory over FIU at the CUSA Championship.
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Cleary and Steele were also recognized as 2026 AVCA Top Flight honorees at Flight 2. The award recognizes beach pairs who compete in at least 15 matches together at a specific flight and win at least 75 percent of their matches.
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The Spirit of Service Award honors student-athletes who demonstrate significant community service, maintain good academic standing and actively participate in their sport. Each Conference USA institution nominates one student-athlete per season, with spring honorees representing baseball, men's and women's golf, softball, beach volleyball, outdoor track and field and men's and women's tennis.
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A senior from Barrington, Ill., Cleary has been active in a variety of service efforts throughout the community and on campus. Her outreach includes work with Convoy of Hope, the Springfield Dream Center, the Salvation Army and Missouri State's Bear Pantry, where she helped stock shelves to support efforts against food insecurity on campus. She has also served through Missouri State's peer leader program.
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Cleary has also excelled in the classroom while pursuing a nursing degree. She owns a 3.88 cumulative GPA and has earned the CUSA Commissioner's Academic Medal three times. Cleary has also been named to the CUSA Commissioner's Honor Roll twice, the Missouri State Athletic Director's Honor Roll seven times and the CUSA Beach Volleyball All-Academic Team in 2025 and 2026.
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On the sand, Cleary capped her Missouri State career with one of the strongest seasons in program history. The senior earned All-CUSA second team honors after finishing 24-6 alongside MacKenzie Steele at Flight 2. The pair closed the season on a 15-match winning streak and extended their program-record mark to 63-23, finishing as the winningest pair in Missouri State beach volleyball history.
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Cleary also helped lead the Bears to one of the best seasons in program history. Missouri State finished 24-6 for the second-most wins in a single season, opened the year with a program-best 14-0 start, went 9-0 at home and earned its first postseason win with a 3-2 victory over FIU at the CUSA Championship.
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Cleary and Steele were also recognized as 2026 AVCA Top Flight honorees at Flight 2. The award recognizes beach pairs who compete in at least 15 matches together at a specific flight and win at least 75 percent of their matches.
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