2026 ICCA South Quarterfinal @ University of Tennessee

DEAR FRIENDS,

Welcome to Varsity Vocals’ 30th season! After more than a quarter century of presenting the best student groups on the stage and in the studio, our enthusiasm for the art of a cappella is greater than ever.

Our tournaments have grown from a handful of events to the massive showcase they are today, currently featuring more than 730 groups and around 12,000 singers at over 85 events across North America and the United Kingdom.

Our original tournament inspired the hit movie, "Pitch Perfect," based on the nonfiction book documenting the true story of rival groups competing in our very own ICCA. The "Pitch Perfect" franchise remains the highest-grossing cinematic musical series of all time.

Despite the incredible growth and mainstream popularity we’ve enjoyed, our focus remains sharply on the promotion and development of the talent that crosses our stage. We believe competition fosters growth, as groups work together toward a specific goal and cultivate lifelong skills and relationships.

We provide insightful feedback from our highly qualified judges, but more importantly, our singers get to connect with a larger audience from across the country, learning from their peers and finding inspiration from other groups.

We have seen a cappella make great strides from where it began on our stage 30 years ago and can’t wait to see how our 2026 competitors continue to push the envelope. Committed to promoting our singers and energized by the incredible music they create, we look forward to another memorable season. Thank you for joining us!

Sincerely,

Amanda Newman
Executive Director

ICCA SOUTH QUARTERFINAL

University of Tennessee - Knoxville
Saturday, February 7th, 2026

WE'RE SOCIAL

We're talking about this event, and all of our events around the world!

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ABOUT VARSITY VOCALS

Since 1996, we have encouraged students worldwide to sing a cappella throughout their lives. Our programs include both the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA), and the International Championship of High School A Cappella (ICHSA). We also annually produce The Best of College A Cappella (BOCA) and The Best of High School A Cappella (BOHSA) compilation albums.

Our a cappella competitions give top-notch a cappella groups the opportunity to showcase their talents for an international audience and to take home valuable feedback from our qualified judges. This year, competing groups will appear in venues all around the world, offering their energetic musical performances for your enjoyment.

The college tournament, now in it's 30th year, takes place from January through April in nine regions across the country and around the world. Each region holds four or five Quarterfinals, and the top groups from each Quarterfinal advance to the Semifinal. The winning group at each Semifinal is named Regional Champion and advances to the ICCA Finals at The Town Hall in New York City on Saturday, April 25th.

The high school tournament is now in its 21st year. The winners of each of seven Semifinal rounds will advance to the ICHSA Finals at The Town Hall in New York City on Friday, April 24th.

For a full tournament schedule, visit us at www.varsityvocals.com/events

ABOUT TONIGHT'S SHOW

The performance order was determined by random draw this afternoon and will be announced from stage.

Tonight’s performers will be evaluated on elements of their vocal and visual performance, which carry numerical weight. The highest and lowest score from the individual judges will be dropped for each group. Our judges may recognize exceptional performances with special awards as they see fit.

There will be a 15-minute intermission. After the final group has performed, a guest performer will entertain you while the scores are tabulated.

Because each group only has 10 minutes to perform, we ask you to keep your applause to an enthusiastic minimum between songs. Please feel welcome to applaud as much as you want after each group has finished its set.

Videotaping and non-flash photography for personal use is permitted during the concert, so long as you do not disrupt our performers or other patrons. Due to licensing regulations, we do not provide a video or audio recording of this performance.

TONIGHT'S COMPETITORS

Ascension is East Tennessee State University’s premier co-ed a cappella group, founded in fall 2019. Known for their high-energy performances and dynamic storytelling, Ascension blends their fun-loving camaraderie with a competitive drive to create exhilarating shows that bring audiences to their feet. In just a few short years, the group has made its mark on the competitive a cappella world, as the reigning SoJam Champion and Runner-Up at ICCA South Semifinals. This follows many years of top placements at ICCA South Quarterfinals and Semifinals andmultiple individual awards. Beyond the stage, Ascension has released nine EPs across all major streaming platforms, showcasing their signature sound to listeners worldwide. Whether they’re competing, recording, or performing in the community, Ascension is always striving to push boundaries, elevate voices, and share the joy of music together.

The Belles A Cappella is an award-winning all-female a cappella group from Belmont University. They won 1st place at the 2024 ICCA South Quarterfinals, went on to place 4th at South Semifinals that season, and followed that up with 3rd place in their 2025 Quarterfinal. They are extremely proud of their recent success and are motivated to achieve even greater things this year. The Belles love singing pop music, infused with creative nods to other genres. They are always thinking outside of the box to create memorable performances. Their genuine friendship extends on and off stage, encouraging one another in their music goals and celebrating every win. The Belles’ fun fact is that they reject the tradition of designating just one vocal percussionist and they currently have three! They are so excited to share their set, which truly makes each of them feel like a pop star.

The Beltones is a student-run, co-ed a cappella group based in Nashville, Tenn. at Belmont University. Founded in fall 2009 by Patrick Dunnevant and Creighton Olsen, they perform locally and nationally, notably advancing all the way to ICCA Finals in New York City in 2013, 2014, and 2017. Most recently, The Beltones received 3rd place at their 2024 ICCA Quarterfinal and achieved Outstanding Vocal Percussion at their 2025 ICCA Quarterfinals. With a foundation of positivity and humility, The Beltones are grateful for the privilege to make music with people they love.

Harmonium is a student-led soprano-alto ensemble from East Tennessee State University. Committed to musical excellence and collective growth, Harmonium's mission is to find community through music. They are so excited to return to the ICCA stage after competing last year for the first time since 2021! They are eager to push themselves to new musical heights and hope to continue growing as a student organization. This is Harmonium, License to Kill.

Intonations, a treble a cappella group from Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn., is all about warmth, vibrancy, and powerful musical choices! Since 2019, they have sought to support every group member’s journey so that they graduate more confident than they arrived. Intonations is committed to an all-hands-on-deck approach, in which every single member contributes meaningfully to their sound. This is Intonations' fifth time competing in the ICCA and they are so grateful to be returning this year! Their 2026 set, "Oblivion," has been almost a year in the making and they are excited to present their most refined set yet. The group's passion, dedication, and deep love for one another have yielded amazing growth. Tonight, you'll witness Intonations’ focused sound and bold presence, made possible from true collaboration and their unshakable bond.

Prismatics, founded through friendship in 2015, is an all-gender a cappella group from Belmont University, committed to making meaningful music. No stranger to the ICCA stage, Prismatics has competed every year since their debut in 2017. They were blessed to attend ICCA Finals in 2021 and 2022, as well as multiple ICCA Semifinals, including the 2025 season. Over the years, they have also won many awards for Outstanding Soloist, Outstanding Vocal Percussion, and Outstanding Choreography, most recently taking Outstanding Soloist at their 2025 ICCA South Quarterfinal. This year, Prismatics is thrilled to return to the ICCA stage and compete alongside their peers, sharing their love and passion for music.

reVOLution is the University of Tennessee’s premier treble a cappella group! Founded in 2010, reVOLution is an unstoppable and passionate group of female musicians. Although they excel in pop music, they also love honoring their home in the Smokies by singing that old time folk and country music! They perform at choral concerts and showcases and compete regularly in the ICCA. A fully student-run group, and every member plays a crucial role in making their performances happen. These singers are passionate about arranging, choreographing, and performing, and this dedication shines through their heartfelt performances. More than an a cappella group, reVOLution is a community and sisterhood, connected through a cappella music. After taking a hiatus in 2020, this is reVOLution’s third year back in the ICCA.

Spectrum is Vanderbilt University's premier competitive fusion a cappella team. They pride themselves on celebrating a SPECTRUM of cultures through their performances, blending music across genres and languages. From Hindi to Spanish, Spectrum loves connecting with different audiences through their music at cultural showcases on campus. They also compete in the ICCA each year, recently placing 1st and 3rd at Quarterfinals in 2023 and 2024, respectively. Spectrum offers a space for future engineers, teachers, and scientists to be artists as well, coming together to make great music. They hope to share their love of music and one another with everyone in tonight’s performance. Welcome to Spectrum’s “Party Around the World!”

This is Volt's 11th year at UTK! The group's founding philosophy was to include all different majors and musical styles. As different as they are, everyone in Volt is passionate about music and can't wait to share that energy with you. Today's performance is a collection of alt-pop ballads that tell a story about breaking a cycle of bad habits. The tendency to fall back on familiar patterns haunts the set's protagonist while they fight to overcome personal obstacles.

TONIGHT'S JUDGES

Paige Betts is the orchestra director at Mountain View High School in Lawrenceville, Ga. She is an experienced music educator, having taught string orchestra, chorus, and musical theatre, and has twice been runner-up for Teacher of the Year. She has given clinics with various orchestras, chorus, and a cappella ensembles across the Southeast, and has taught private voice and viola lessons. Paige is a graduate of the University of Georgia and is currently working towards becoming a Double Dawg. Paige lives in Winterville, Ga. with her husband, Andrew, and their dogs, Jake and Barbara.

Christina Carter holds an M.M.E. from the University of Central Florida and a B.M. from Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn. She is the Director of Choral Music at the Ensworth School in Nashville, Tenn., where she directs the Chamber Singers and the contemporary a cappella group, Encore. Christina also teaches Music 1 and AP Music Theory and is the director and conductor for the musical productions. She has been conducting choirs and small orchestras since 1995 and has been an ICHSA and ICCA adjudicator for several years. Her a cappella groups can be heard on Spotify and Acaville Radio. Her current group, Encore, was recently selected for the 2025 BOHSA album. In her spare time, Christina loves spending time with her husband and frequenting Universal Studios to watch her daughter perform.

Paul Davis is an alumnus of the University of Tennessee - Knoxville, where he obtained his bachelor's degree in vocal music education. At UTK, he performed with The UT Singers when they earned 1st place in their 2018 ICCA Quarterfinal and 2nd place in their 2020 ICCA Quarterfinal. Paul also entertained audiences as a Varsity Vocals emcee for the past two years and he is excited to serve in a new capacity this season!

SPECIAL THANKS

Varsity Vocals would like to recognize and thank Angie Batey, Javi Castro, and Overtone; our judges, hosts, competitors, volunteers, partners, and producers; and you, the audience, for supporting Varsity Vocals programming.

Amanda Newman
Executive Director

Elise Hackl-Blumstein
ICHSA Director
PA/MA Program Coordinator

Dave Rabizadeh
ICCA Director

Emily Sucher
Director of Publications

Lucy Jacobs
Senior Producer, ICCA & ICHSA West

Lindsay Howerton-Hastings
Senior Producer, ICCA South

Arvin Zabalerio
Senior Producer, ICCA Central

Gemma Witham
Producer, ICCA United Kingdom

Rebecca Williamson
Producer, ICCA Northeast

Adam McNeil
Producer, ICHSA Great Lakes

Valentyna Simon
Producer, ICHSA West

Ben Garza
Producer, ICHSA Southwest

Bryce McCracken
Associate Producer, ICCA Central

Angelina Corbin
Associate Producer
ICCA & ICHSA South

Sara Yood
Senior Producer, ICCA & ICHSA Finals

Emily Flanders
Director of Adjudication
Senior Producer, ICCA Great Lakes

Andrew Poole
Director of Digital Media

Charlotte Taylor
Marketing & Social Strategy

Holli Kitching
Senior Producer, ICCA Mid-Atlantic

Leah Alrutz
Senior Producer, ICCA Midwest

Alaina Wegner
Producer, ICCA Southwest

Christopher Witham
Producer, ICCA United Kingdom

Jillian Kimberlin
Senior Producer, ICHSA Mid-Atlantic

Christopher Hoffman
Producer, ICHSA Northeast

Jake Yoakum
Producer, ICHSA West

Nicole Palmetto
Associate Producer, ICCA Northeast

Tyandria Jaaber
Associate Producer, ICCA Mid-Atlantic

McKinley Thoreson
Associate Producer
ICHSA Great Lakes

OUR TEAM

We have an amazing team of people who work tirelessly to make our programs so valuable for our singers and audiences alike — and they all do it while holding down full-time day jobs, too!

The top two placing groups at this event will advance to the 2026 ICCA South Semifinal .

BRING THE HARMONY HOME

Find your favorite groups on The Best of College A Cappella (BOCA) and The Best of High School A Cappella (BOHSA), available for purchase on Apple Music and Amazon Music!

VIEW ALBUMS

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