PROVO, Utah — BYU men's volleyball head coach Shawn Olmstead has announced the addition of Jakai Houston to the 2026 signing class Wednesday.
"I chose to come to BYU because it felt like somewhere I could see myself in the future, with the coaching staff and the culture they built," Houston said. "They made it feel like a home and something I would enjoy every day. I’m excited to play in the feildhouse, with the crowd and energy while wearing the Y."
Houston is a 6-foot-7-inch outside hitter from Hendersonville, Tennessee who has played for the C2 Attack Volleyball Club since he was 12 years old. He was a member of the 2025 USAV Boys Junior National 16 Open Championship winning team and was named to the all-tournament team. He was named a USAV High Performance All-Star in 2022 and 2025. Houston also has been been a USA Volleyball National Team Development Program (Beach/Indoor).
"Jakai has been on our radar for a handful of years, coming to camps, and we’ve looked forward to the time when we could officially have him join our roster," Olmstead said. "He has been around the sport most of his life, playing different positions, which builds his skill set and knowledge of volleyball. His athleticism and ball control will help him adjust to our level. He's got a lot of connections to BYU and love his enthusiasm on and off the court."
Houston's uncle, John Reilly, won a 2010 Mountain West Conference indoor track and field title in 2011, graduated from BYU with a degree in exercise science and was an assistant strength and conditioning coach at BYU. Houston's cousin, Suli Davis, is currently starring as a freshman on the BYU womens volleyball team.
Houston will enroll at BYU in the fall of 2026.