RICHARDSON, Texas – Former women's tennis standout Rachel Houston, men's soccer star Omar Jaroun, volleyball All-American Kayla Jordan O'Connell and longtime Associate Athletic Director for Media Relations Bruce Unrue have been selected for induction into the UTD Athletics Hall of Honors as members of the 2026 class. The quartet will be formally inducted during a ceremony at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 31, at the Davidson-Gundy Alumni Center.
Houston was one of the most accomplished student-athletes in the history of the women's tennis program, earning American Southwest Conference East Division Most Valuable Player honors in 2013 after collecting First Team All Division recognition at both No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles. A three-time Academic All-ASC selection and recipient of the 2012-13 ASC Scholar-Athlete Medal of Honor, she excelled both on the court and in the classroom. Houston compiled a 45-14 singles record and a 39-25 doubles mark during her career, including 20-3 conference records in both categories, and helped lead the Comets to the 2013 ASC Tournament championship, while earning All-Tournament honors. She graduated in Spring 2013 with a bachelor's degree in Biology.
Jaroun established himself as one of the top attacking players in program history, earning first-team All-ASC honors in both 2013 and 2014 and claiming ASC Offensive Player of the Year accolades as a senior. A 2013 NSCAA All-Region selection and 2014 NSCAA Scholar All-America honoree, Jaroun totaled 18 goals, 12 assists and 48 points in 55 matches while recording eight game-winning goals and helping the Comets compile a 38-11-10 record during his career. He played a key role in the Comets' run to the NCAA Division III Championship Second Round in 2014 and earned bachelor's degrees in Accounting and Finance in 2015 before completing a master's degree in Accounting in 2016.
O'Connell capped one of the finest careers in UTD volleyball history by earning AVCA All-America Honorable Mention honors and ASC East Division Most Valuable Player recognition in 2015. The 2015-16 UTD Female Athlete of the Year was a four-time All-ASC selection, a three-time Academic All-ASC honoree and the recipient of the ASC Scholar-Athlete Medal of Honor. She finished her career as the program's all-time leader with 5,210 assists while averaging 10.55 assists per set and recording 54 double-doubles. O'Connell helped the Comets to a 111-30 record, the 2015 ASC Championship and NCAA Division III Tournament appearances in 2013 and 2015. O'Connell graduated from UTD witha degree in Computer Science in 2016.
For more than two decades, Unrue played a pivotal role in building the identity and visibility of Comet Athletics. Hired in 2003 as UT Dallas' first full-time Sports Information Director and later promoted to Associate Athletic Director, Unrue spent 21 years publicizing student-athletes and programs while creating and maintaining UTDComets.com, launching the UTD Comet Vision broadcast network and overseeing countless publications, branding initiatives and communications efforts. He and his staff were recognized as the American Southwest Conference Sports Information Staff of the Year in 2012 and 2017, and his career spanned more than 40 years in sports management, marketing and journalism. Unrue's lasting impact on Comet Athletics helped transform the department's storytelling, digital presence and public profile.
The UTD Athletics Hall of Honors recognizes former student-athletes, coaches and contributors who have made significant impacts on Comet Athletics through their achievements, leadership and service to the university. The Class of 2026 joins an elite group of honorees whose accomplishments have helped shape the tradition of excellence at UT Dallas.
UTD Athletics Hall of Honors
