CLEVELAND, Ohio – The 2026 Mid-American Conference volleyball season begins on Friday, Aug. 28, with the league’s 11 teams lined up for non-conference competition. The eight-at-home-and-one-on-the-road league play will begin on Tuesday, Sept. 22, and conclude on Saturday, Nov. 14, ahead of the conference tournament.

MAC volleyball will face tough competition right out of the gates in this first weekend of competition, including Virginia Tech, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Auburn, Fresno State, and Washington State.
The top six teams in the conference standings at the end of the regular season will advance into the MAC Championship for a chance to claim the tournament trophy. Ball State captured the 2025 Regular Season title and will be the host for this year’s 2026 MAC Volleyball Championship on Nov. 20-22 at Worthen Arena in Muncie, Ind.

For more MAC Volleyball news throughout the season, visit www.GetSomeMaction.com and follow @MACSports on Twitter (X), Instagram, and Facebook.

Below is a team-by-team preview for the 2026 MAC Women’s Volleyball season.

Team-By-Team Previews (In Preseason Coaches’ Poll Predicted Order)
Toledo Rockets | Preseason Interview with Emily Ehman
Friday, Aug. 28 / vs. Bradley / Savage Arena / 6 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 29 / vs. Binghamton / Savage Arena / 12 p.m. 
Saturday, Aug. 29 / vs. Oakland / Savage Arena / 7 p.m.

Volleyball kicks off the 2026 season with the Rocket Invitational Presented by Delta Hotels by Marriot on Friday-Saturday, Aug. 28-29 at Savage Arena. The squad features 12 returners from the 2025 Mid-American Conference Tournament Champion team, five transfers and three freshmen. The Rockets are set to take on Bradley, Binghamton and Oakland in the first action of the season. Friday night will be Love Island Night, while Saturday's match against Oakland will be the first Glass City match of the season. 


Ball State Cardinals | Preseason Interview with Emily Ehman
After a pair of exhibition outings, the Ball State women's volleyball team officially opens the 2026 season Friday when it travels to Notre Dame for a 6:30 p.m. first serve versus the Fighting Irish on ACCNX ... The Cardinals close opening weekend Saturday afternoon at Purcell Pavilion with a 3 p.m. match up versus Xavier.

BALL STATE ALL-TIME: Ball State enters the 2026 season with a 1055-668-2 (.612) all-time record in women's volleyball ... Ball State became the 44th program in NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball history to reach 1,000 wins with a sweep of Central Michigan on Sept. 22, 2023 ... All-time, the Cardinals have captured 12 Mid-American Conference West Division Championships, 11 MAC Regular Season Championships and eight MAC Volleyball Championship titles ... Ball State has made 11 appearances in the NCAA Tournament, including three of the last six seasons ... BSU has also earned two bids into the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC).

BALL STATE IN THE MAC: With a 17-1 record in Mid-American Conference play last season, Ball State maintains its status as the winningest program in league play with a 476-226 (.678) all-time MAC mark ... Western Michigan is second on the list, six matches behind the Cardinals at 470-232 (.670).

AT THE MAC CHAMPIONSHIP: Ball State made its 36th all-time appearance in the MAC Volleyball Championship in 2025 ... The Cardinals have a 39-28 (.582) overall record in the event and have claimed eight tournament titles (1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1999, 2002, 2019 and 2021) ... The Cardinals' 39 tournament wins are second in MAC Championship history as are its eight titles are second ... Overall, the Cardinals own a 5-2 (.714) record in first round matches, a 13-10 (.565) mark in quarterfinal play, an 13-11 (.542) ledger in semifinal action and an 8-5 (.615) record in the championship match ... Ball State has advanced to the championship match in four of the last six tournaments.

WHEN IN WORTHEN: The Cardinals boast a 332-104 (.761) all-time record inside Worthen Arena, including an 84-41 (.672) mark against non-conference foes and a 248-63 (.797) ledger versus league foes ... No MAC opponent owns a winning record inside Worthen Arena, as the Cardinals have at least a .630 winning percentage against all league schools on its current home floor.

SCOUTING BALL STATE:
• The Ball State women's volleyball team returns four starters and its libero from last season's squad which produced a 21-10 overall record and won the MAC regular season championship with a 17-1 league mark ... Included on the list of returners are 2025 First Team All-MAC honorees Gwen Crull, Sophie Ledbetter and Camryn Wise. 
• With a strong presence in the middle, thanks in part to Crull and Wise, the Cardinals led the MAC and ranked 32nd nationally with a .258 attack percentage ... In fact, Wise led all MAC players and ranked 23rd nationally with a .398 rate of success, while Crull was third in the league and 118th nationally at .340.
• The Cardinals also return the setting duo of Lindsey Green and Reese Axness who were named the 2025 MAC Setters of the Year for their roles in running the Ball State offense ... A four-time MAC Setter Pair of the Week, Green averaged 7.30 assists per set, while Axness averaged 4.44 ... Overall, the Cardinals ranked first in the MAC and 43rd nationally with 12.67 assists per set, while its 1,533 total assists were 20th nationally ... The effort helped Ball State finish the year as one of the nation's top terminating teams, ranking 25th nationally with 1,651 total kills.
• Ball State finished the season as the top-ranked MAC squad in the NCAA RPI Rankings, coming in at 56 ... The Cardinals were 77th in the initial RPI rankings on Oct. 5 and climbed to as high as 44th on Oct. 17.


Western Michigan Broncos | Preseason Interview with Emily Ehman
On a young team featuring new players in several key offensive positions, Western Michigan University's volleyball team will look to build chemistry and consistency as the season takes shape.

That's not the same case in the backrow defense where the Broncos return two outstanding players who were team leaders in digging the ball to redshirt sophomore setter Leah Richmond for last season's team which made it to the Mid-American Conference Tournament title match.

WMU (17-16 overall, 13-5 MAC in 2025) opens the season at home with the Western Michigan Tournament against Green Bay on Friday night. They will play Navy on Saturday and Indiana State on Sunday.

On the roster is just one senior, Gabby Weihe, who transferred in this season from Western Kentucky. The juniors are Elana Erickson, Annalise Patchett, Ella Guilfoy, Izzy Swiercz and Carley Piercefield. The sophomores are Richmond, Camille Morrison, Mia Jurkovic and Cassidy Pratley. The freshman class consists of Riley Messenger, Ella Askin and Bri Zimmerman.

Anchoring the back row are Erickson, Piercefield, Guilfoy and Messenger. Erickson was fifth in the MAC in digs per set at 3.59. Piercefield had 301 digs and Guilfoy had 119.

Both an offensive and defensive weapon is Richmond, who was named to the Preseason All-MAC Team by the league's coaches. She led the MAC in assists per set, 9.93, and her total assists of 1,241 was 16th-best in the nation. The redshirt sophomore also added 414 digs and a 3.31 digs per set average, 10th-best in the MAC.

The attackers include Weihe, Pratley and Zimmerman in the middle along with Swiercz, Patchett, Askin, Morrison and Jurkovic on the outside. Patchett is the top returner in total kills with 309. Jurkovic added 190.

In the middle is where WMU has to replace two of last year's top hitters in Mary Clare Brusek and Amanda Glanton. Weihe brings a wealth of experience after playing 83 matches at Western Kentucky. Last season, she had a .323 hitting percentage and averaged almost one block per set.

Like every other team at this stage of the season, Western Michigan can't wait to play.
 

Bowling Green Falcons | Preseason Interview with Emily Ehman
The Bowling Green State University volleyball team will begin the 2026 season this weekend with a four-team invitational, hosted by Ohio State. This year's Jim Stone Challenge will feature Bowling Green, Fresno State, Northern Kentucky and host Ohio State. The Falcons will play a match per day, starting with Ohio State on Friday (Aug. 28) to begin the year at 6 p.m. All matches at the Jim Stone Challenge will be available to stream on B1G+. 

Jim Stone Challenge Schedule (Times EST)
Friday, August 28 // Bowling Green at Ohio State | 6 p.m.
Saturday, August 29 // Bowling Green vs. Northern Kentucky | 1 p.m.
Sunday, August 30 // Bowling Green vs. Fresno State | 11 a.m.

First Serve 

• The Falcons will head into the season looking to win their season opener for the fourth-straight season. If Bowling Green can do so, it would mark the second-longest season-opener winning streak in program history behind only the 1987-92 stretch when BGSU won six straight.
• Bowling Green will kick off the season against Ohio State with the opportunity to begin the year with a Power 4 win. The last power conference victory for the Falcons came on Sept. 17, 2023 against Michigan, claiming a second-consecutive five-set win over the Wolverines to complete a weekend sweep. 
• With the season starting on August 28 for the Falcons, it will be the earliest start to a season for BGSU since the 2023 campaign when they opened on Aug. 25. 
• The Falcons start the year on the road for their first three matches, but will be staying home at the Stroh Center this year for a large chunk of their schedule. BGSU will host 13 of their 27 matches on the slate for the year. 
• The Falcons head into the second season under head coach Alex DelPiombo after posting a 17-15 record in her first year at the helm, securing a MAC Tournament appearance. The campaign will be DelPiombo's 11th with the Falcons after serving on the staff for nine years before being elevated to head coach. 
• Bowling Green is in the program's 51st varsity season with the program beginning during the 1976 season. This year marks the 44th season in the Mid-American Conference for BGVB, officially joining the sports in the MAC in 1983. 

Veteran Falcons Lead Way
The Falcons will return a large chunk of their 2025 production to the 2026 roster this season, especially in the back row. The Falcons will return 82.6-percent of their 1,686 digs from last season, including the top four stat leaders in the category. As for the attack, the Falcons return 71.4-percent of their kills as well as 76.4-percent of their assists. Rounding out the list, BGSU returns 69.0-percent of their aces from last season and 50.8-percent of their blocks. 

Youth Movement Arriving In BG
The Falcons enter this season with 19 players on the roster with 12 of those players being listed as a freshman, sophomore or redshirt sophomore. The sophomores and redshirt sophomores carry the largest group with nine, resulting in nearly half of BGSU's roster being classified as a sophomore athletically. Meanwhile, the freshman group of three ties the true senior class of three for the smallest class groups, although two of the four juniors are listed as redshirt juniors. 


Ohio Bobcats | Preseason Interview with Emily Ehman
Aug. 28 / Marshall Invitational / vs Bucknell / Huntington, W.Va. / Cam Henderson Center / 11 a.m. ET 
Aug. 28 / Marshall Invitational / vs Niagara / Huntington, W.Va. / Cam Henderson Center / 5 p.m. ET 
Aug. 29 / Marshall Invitational / vs Marshall / Huntington, W.Va. / Cam Henderson Center / 5 p.m. ET / ESPN+ 

Ohio Volleyball is set to open the 2026 season at the Marshall Invitational on Aug. 28-29 in Huntington, W. Va. inside the Cam Henderson Center. The season begins on Friday, August. 28 with two matchups starting at 11 a.m. when Ohio will take on Bucknell, before returning to action at 5 p.m. ET against Niagara. Ohio concludes the weekend on Saturday, August. 29 at 5 p.m. ET when the Bobcats take on host Marshall. That match can be seen on ESPN+. 

The Bobcats concluded the 2025 season with a 14-17 overall and 12-6 conference record. Ohio earned the No. 3 seed in the 2025 MAC Tournament, before falling to host, Bowling Green, in the quarterfinals. Prior to the MAC Tournament, Kenzie Brinkman's interim title was removed, making her the 13^th head coach in Ohio volleyball program history. The team was led by several standouts including 2025 MAC Freshman of the Year, Bailey Blair, and All-MAC First Team honoree, Emily Waddell. In 2025, Ohio averaged 12.92 kills, 11.89 assists, 1.67 aces, 13.72 digs and 1.70 blocks per set. The Bobcats ended the season with a .193 hitting percentage. 
 
The Ohio volleyball team has 12 players returning for the 2026 season. The returning student-athletes include six seniors, three juniors and three sophomores. Among Ohio's returners is the 2025 MAC Freshman of the Year, sophomore Bailey Blair. Blair was vital for the Bobcats' offense during the 2025 season. She earned several accolades including being named to the 2025 All-MAC First Team and MAC All-Freshmen Team. Senior Emily Waddell is another important returner for Ohio this season. The middle blocker was named to the 2025 All-MAC First Team after she helped the Bobcats to several important victories over conference opponents. Other notable returners include seniors Torre Kildow, Gentry Brown, Kendall Hickey and juniors Darbi Ricketts and Sierra Evans.


Miami RedHawks | Preseason Interview with Emily Ehman
The Red and White begin the 2026 season by traveling to the Bearkat Invitational this week, Aug. 28-29. The RedHawks will begin the tournament against McNeese at 11 a.m. on Friday, and they will play their second match of the day in the evening versus tournament host Sam Houston at 8 p.m. Miami concludes the tournament by taking on Cal State Fullerton at 12 p.m. on Saturday. 

ALL-MAC CREECH: In her freshman season as an outside hitter, Molly Creech was selected to the All-MAC Second Team and to the MAC All-Freshman Team. Creech was one of two RedHawks to receive All-MAC honors since the 2020-21 COVID season and she was also the first Miami freshman to be named to the MAC All-Freshman Team since the 2018 season. Heading into her sophomore season in 2026, Creech was named Preseason All-MAC.

UP NEXT: The Red and White return home to host the Best Western Invitational Sept. 4-5. The RedHawks will take on Evansville, Kansas City and Purdue Fort Wayne at the invitational.

STRONG RETURNS: Of its 19-player roster, the Red and White return nine players from the 2025 roster. Seniors Raegan Lantz and Chelsea Williams anchor a solid veteran group. They are joined by juniors Sophie Crawford, Lydia Michelin and Kamryn Utley. The sophomore class includes Molly Creech, Lauren Coyne, Grace Kreutz and Lindy Radaszewski. 

FRESH ON THE SCENE: 10 newcomers will be joining the Miami roster in 2026. The RedHawks welcome seven freshmen this season, which includes Kendall Bosse, Madison Brown, Holland Van Deusen, Ria Furuta, Rachel Morgan, Sophie Stallworth and Reesa Zimmerman. Miami also brings on Maria Insana who is a senior (transfer from Youngstown State), Sydney Waller who is a redshirt sophomore (transfer from Samford) and Piper Willinger (transfer from Syracuse) who is a graduate student.
 

Akron Zips | Preseason Interview with Emily Ehman
The Zips begin the 2026 season in Johnson City, Tenn. with the Buccaneer Classic, hosted by East Tennessee (ETSU). Akron will battle ETSU, Liberty and Auburn from August 28-29 for the first three matches of the season.

FOLLOW THE ACTION
Friday, Aug. 28 at 1 p.m. vs ETSU
Saturday, Aug. 29 at 10 a.m. vs Liberty
Saturday, Aug. 29 at 1 p.m. vs Auburn

ZIPS AT A GLANCE
The Zips return 12 players from the 2025 squad that finished with a 16-13 overall record and 9-9 in Mid-American Conference play, falling one game shy of making the MAC Tournament.

The returning cast is highlighted by two All-MAC performers in Delany Gash (OH) and Lyndi Wolf (MB) followed by Vanessa Del Real (L), Sarah Bettis (OH/RS), Payton Evans (S), Jordyn Aeschliman (OH), Reilly Chausse (L), Jessie Musselman (OH), Lauren Wilson (OH/MB), Masa Prascevic (S) and Chidera Ozoh (MB).

The Zips added five newcomers in Clara Christensen (S), Noelle Aprati (OH), Clara Gennari (OH), Taylor Donovan (L) and Vanessa Washington (MB).

Gash was the first All-MAC First Team selection for Akron since 2019, leading the Zips with 452 kills, 4.00 kills per set, 495 points, while ranking third in digs with 239. Gash added 36 blocks, 23 assists and 20 kills. She finished the regular season ranked 2nd in the MAC in total kills (452), kills per set (4.00), total points (495) and points per set (4.38). She ranked 62nd in the NCAA in kills per set (4.00), 22nd in total points (495) and 16th in total kills (452).

Wolf was the second Zip to be named to the All-MAC Freshman team in the last three seasons. She finished the season third on the team in kills (225) while leading Akron in hitting percentage (.308) and ranking 7th in the MAC.

Del Real anchored the Zips defense, collecting 458 digs and 4.09 digs per set while ranking second in assists with 122 or 1.09 per set. Del Real also led the squad in service aces with 44 o4 0,39 per set.

Chausse was second in digs with 275 and delivered 22 aces, while Ozoh led the team in blocks with 128 and was fifth in kills with 160 .

The Zips were picked to finish 7th in the MAC Preseason Poll while Toledo was tabbed to finish first after picking up seven first-place votes. The Rockets had six votes to win the MAC Tournament and Ball State finished with five votes.

Gash and Wolf were selected to the Preseason All-MAC Team.

WHAT'S NEXT?
The Zips are on the road for the Hampton Inn/ Indy Invitational hosted by IU Indy in Indianapolis, Ind. on Sept. 3-5. Akron opens the tournament on Thursday, Sept. 3 at 7 p.m. against MAC foe Ohio Bobcats.  Akron followed by Marshall on Friday, Sept. 4 at 6 p.m. and IU Indy on Saturday, Sept. 5 at 3 p.m.
 

Buffalo Bulls | Preseason Interview with Emily Ehman
The University at Buffalo women's volleyball team (0-0, 0-0 MAC) begin their 2026 campaign as they travel to St. Louis for the Billiken Invitational. The Bulls will face the UIC Flames on Friday at 11 a.m. followed by the Saint Louis Billikens at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+. Their final match of the weekend will be Saturday at noon ET against the Lindenwood Lions.

The Bulls bring back nine veteran players while adding eight newcomers. Angelina Siepierski, Michal Benaim, Nienke Trossel, Soleil Rancourt, and Abisola Adebayo join the program as freshmen. Siepierski set the program record with1,670 career kills in her time at Williamsville South. She earned 2025 AVCA Region Player of the Year honors and AVCA Second-Team All-American accolades. Benaim spent the spring semester at Hofstra before transferring to Buffalo. Prior to her time in college, she represented the Israeli National Team. Trossel represented the Netherlands on the international stage including playing in the European Championship in Serbia. Rancourt was a two-time First-Team All-State selection in 2024 and 2025. Adebayo earned District Player of the Year and Skyline Breakout Player of the Year distinction during her senior year at Westside.

The Bulls added three true transfers to their roster. Sophomore Hailey Campagna played in two matches for the Bulldogs last season where she tallied 7.5 points and 7 kills. Graduate Anaya Cole attended Aukland University of Technology prior to Buffalo. Winning is in her DNA as she helped her teams to first place finishes at the Tertiary Championships (2023), National Secondary Schools Championships (2021), Canterbury Championships (2020 & 2021) and the South Island Championships (2020 & 2021). Sophomore Abbie Willis appeared in 22 matches her freshman season for the Catamounts where she tallied 80 kills and 85.5 points last season.

The Bulls return 2025 Second-Team All-MAC selection Manoela Forlin for her senior year. The Brazilian tallied 345 kills, 390.0 points, 28 aces, 214 digs and 25 total blocks in her junior season. Chloe Brown is back for her senior season. She's recorded back-to-back 100-dig season in the blue and white. Tehya Shaw is Buffalo's longest tenured player as she returns for her fifth year. Last season she recorded a career-high 59 total blocks and 94 kills.

Buffalo's leading blocker from a season ago in Ava Kanj is back as she recorded 0.76 blocks per set in 2025. Maddie Mitchell was the Bulls' leading setter in 2025 as she tallied 8.74 assists per set. Sydney Bell is looking to rebound this season after suffering an injury last year. In just 10 matches played as a freshman, she finished with 2.31 points per set.

Sadie Gladhill became the starting libero down the stretch in 2025 and will provide depth to the defensive specialist position. The Maryland native finished with 2.61 digs per set and 14 service aces last year. Another returning Bull that was electric off the serve is Eve Adams. In 2025 she compiled 28 service aces. Reese Collins is back for her junior season. The middle blocker was efficient off the attack last year as she finished with a .341 hitting percentage.

THE BULL-ETIN BOARD

• Head Coach Scott Smith enters his eighth season at the helm for the Bulls in 2026. In his career, he holds a 97-109 (.471) overall record. Smith is three wins shy of reaching 100 wins at Buffalo. Only Robert Maxwell has more Division I wins in program history with 131 from 1991-1998.
• The Bulls have the most international players of any roster in the Mid-American Conference this season with five. Manoela Forlin (Curitiba, Brazil) returns for her senior season as Canadian National Player Sydney Bell (Orleans, Ontario) is back for her sophomore campaign. The Bulls added Michal Benaim (Ness Ziona, Israel), Nienke Trossel (Utrecht, Ntherlands) and Anaya Cole (Dunedin, New Zealand).
• With eight newcomers on the roster and six departures, the Bulls return at least 55% of their key statistics; 56.4% of kills, 58.6% of points, 58.5% of digs, 64.3% of aces, 69.3% of blocks and 86.0% of sets.

 

Eastern Michigan Eagles | Preseason Interview with Emily Ehman
The Eastern Michigan University volleyball team is set to open the 2026 season at the USI Invitational, hosted by the University of Southern Indiana, at Liberty Arena, in Evansville, Friday-Saturday, Aug. 28-29. The Eagles will square off against former Mid-American Conference opponent, Northern Illinois, Friday, 10 a.m., before facing the host Screaming Eagles later that day, 7 p.m. EMU wraps up the tournament with a match against Murray State Saturday, 11 a.m.

FIRST SERVES
» Eastern has 14 newcomers, the second-most nationally. It returns six players from the 2025 roster.
» Eastern has eight freshmen, its most since at least the 1999 season.
» Eastern lost 75% of its points scored in the 2025 season, including 73% of its total kills, 92% of its solo blocks, and 79% of its block assists. Setting wise, the team lost 89% of its total assists.
» Head Coach Kevin Foeman and Asst. Coach/Director of Operations Remy Foeman are married and have three children. They are one of six married couples coaching together at the NCAA Division I level.
» Head Coach Kevin Foeman is entering his fourth season at the helm of the program and his 11th year as a head coach. Overall, he holds a 184-151 career record and 31-62 mark at EMU.
» Eastern will play 10 of its 12 non-conference games on the road, with its lone two home games slated for Sept. 6 and Sept. 18, facing Illinois State and Cornell, respectively.

SUCCESS IN NON-CON SEASON
Eastern looks to continue its success in non-conference tournaments under Head Coach Kevin Foeman. Since 2024, Eastern holds a 14-10 record in non-con tourneys including an 8-4 record last season, including a tournament win at the EMU Tournament, Sept. 4-6, as Eastern went 3-0 in matches and won nine of the 10 sets it played. Eastern will play 10 of its 12 non-conference games on the road, with its lone two home games slated for Sept. 6 and Sept. 18, facing Illinois State and Cornell, respectively.

A LOOK AHEAD
EMU is set for 28 regular-season matches (12 non-conference, 16 conference), 10 of which will take place at the George Gervin GameAbove Center in Ypsilanti, and 18 of which will be played on the road. Eastern will venture outside of MAC play often, as it will face opponents from nine different conferences. Postseason action will begin, Nov. 20, with the MAC Tournament, hosted by Ball State in Muncie, Ind.

 
Central Michigan Chippewas | Preseason Interview with Emily Ehman
RETURNERS/NEWBIES
Central Michigan Volleyball returns four players from the 2025 season: Rainey Weidman, Taylor Cripe, Lilly Mullholand, and Karla Sanchez-George.

There are seven freshmen that join the Chippewas’ squad ahead of 2026. Three of the freshmen signed under the current staff.
Addison Samolinski, Audrey Hackney, Brenna Storz, Lily Jones, Cheyenne Gunner, Alexis Carper, and Meisha Sykes.

Four transfers join the roster for the 2026 season: Jaliyah Cohnes, Cecilia Bustamante, Teyhlor Thomas, and Brytn Lyon. 

SOLO SENIOR
Jaliyah Cohnes is the only senior on the roster for the Chippewas in the 2026. Cohnes spent a season at Dayton College where she appeared in 45 sets in 19 matches. In the 2025 season, Cohnes was at Louisiana-Monroe (ULM) where she appeared in 25 sets in 14 matches. Cohnes started five matches in her second season of collegiate volleyball. She tallied 60 kills in 2025 (1.71/set) and had eight kills for a season high in four matches. Cohnes comes from Tampa, Fla. - however her mother, Christina Alfano is a native of Michigan aiding in Jaliyah’s choice to return to the Mitten State. 

NON-CONFERENCE SLATE
Central Michigan will play in four non-conference tournaments to start the 2026 season.

Opening the season in Washington, CMU will play Montana, Omaha and Washington State. Against the teams in the field, the Chippewas boast a 3-4 record, most recently playing Omaha in 2015 where they collected a 3-0 victory. After hosting no preseason games in McGuirk Arena in the 2025 season, the Chippewas will welcome four teams for the Heart of the Mitt Invitational between September 2nd and 5th. Central Michigan will play Oakland to start the tournament, have a day off, then play Illinois State before closing the stretch against the Redbirds again and then welcoming Michigan State. CMU is 23-4 against Oakland in the history of the two programs. Against the teams in the field, CMU is 59-29-2. Over the 11th and 12th of September, the Chippewas will head to Chicago for the DePaul/UIC Invitational. The Chippewas will face the two host teams as well as Auburn in the windy city. CMU is 6-15 against the teams at that tournament. The final non-conference test for CMU will come in sunny Miami, Fla. in the 305 Invitational hosted by FIU. In Miami, CMU will play Jacksonville, Alabama A&M and the host Panthers. CMU has never played Jacksonville or FIU, and most recently defeated Alabama A&M in 2008 in a 3-0 victory. 

LOOKING TO BUILD
Central Michigan returns four players to the 2026 roster after the first season under Arielle Wilson. Rainey Weidman, Taylor Cripe, Lilly Mullholand and Karla Sanchez-George will wear the Maroon & Gold for a second season. Cripe was one of the elite leaders for the Chippewas in many ways in the 2025 season and looks to continue that in her sophomore year. 


Kent State Golden Flashes | Preseason Interview with Emily Ehman
Kent State will play three matches during the opening weekend of the 2026 season as part of the Hokie Invitational with each contest being played at Virginia Tech's Cassell Center.

WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Friday, August 28 // 10:30 a.m. // Kent State at Virginia Tech
Friday, August 28 //  4:30 p.m. // Kent State vs. Coppin State
Saturday, August 29 // 11 a.m. // Kent State vs. William & Mary  

PREVIEWING THE FLASHES
In an era of high roster turnover, fifth-year head coach Haley Eckerman brings back the core of last season's roster. With the familiarity that results from 11 returners that includes five regular starters, the Golden Flashes are a candidate to be the surprise team in the Mid-American Conference this season.

In her first season at the Division I level, setter Christina Vigil ranked fifth in the MAC with 9.07 assists per set in 2025. Vigil was also a major contributor defensively and ranked second on the team in digs (2.49/set) and third in blocking (0.60/set).

The trio of Adalynn Ginley, Nadia Miller and Liliana Mechura provide depth in the middle. Ginley posted an efficient .317 hitting percentage that was the sixth highest in the MAC while ranking eighth in the conference with 1.07 blocks per set. Miller excelled after moving into the rotation near the start of league play and recorded averages of 2.82 points and 0.99 blocks per set for the season. Mechura has started in 36 of the 39 matches she has appeared for the Flashes over the past two years.

Macie Moreland and Mercedez Brown are the top returners at the pins and look to show growth in their second year with the program. Moreland was second on the team in total kills (186) and kills per set (2.00) as a freshman and Brown was close behind with 175 total kills and 1.88 kills per set in her first year at the Division I level.

Hailey Brenner led the team at 2.52 digs per set last season and is joined by Catie Patterson (1.97 digs/set) and Lesley Furuta (1.92 digs/set) as back row returners.

Setter Kylee Baranski (Central Connecticut State), defensive specialist Maggie Kachmarik (West Georgia) and right side/outside hitter Vanessa Imoh (UC Irvine) are additions who bring multiple years of experience at the Division I level.

UP NEXT FOR THE FLASHES
Kent State will travel to Arlington, Texas for three contests as part of the UTA Tournament on Sept. 4-5.