Women's Volleyball

Volleyball 2026 Opening Night Results

Friday, Aug. 28 Volleyball Scores
Eastern Michigan 3, Northern Illinois 2
Virginia Tech 3, Kent State 0
Miami 3, McNeese 0
Buffalo 3, UIC 2
Ohio 3, Bucknell 0
Akron 3, East Tennessee 2
Montana 3, Central Michigan 0
Kent State 3, Choppin State 2
Ohio 3, Niagara 0
Bowling Green 3, Ohio State 1
Toledo 3, Bradley 0
Western Michigan 3, Green Bay 1
Ball State 3, Notre Dame 2
Saint Louis 3, Buffalo 1
Eastern Michigan 3, Southern Indiana 1
Sam Houston 3, Miami 2
 
Recaps courtesy of Athletic Communications Departments
 
FLY THE FLAG: BGSU Volleyball Down Ohio State in Columbus
FLY THE FLAG: Ball State Reverse Sweeps Notre Dame in South Bend

Eastern Michigan | Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The Eastern Michigan University volleyball team opened the 2026 season with a doubleheader sweep at the USI Invitational Friday, Aug. 28, at Liberty Arena. Eastern defeated Northern Illinois University, 3-2 (26-24, 16-25, 25-18, 23-25, 15-13), and the University of Southern Indiana, 3-1 (25-20, 25-20, 20-25, 25-23), to move to 2-0 on the year — the program's best start since 2018. 

Game one belonged to Bianca Salvador, who delivered the signature performance of the opener against Northern Illinois. The junior outside hitter posted a match-high 20 kills on a blistering .472 hitting percentage, adding 12 digs for a double-double and two aces — 22.5 total points. Anchoring the net alongside her was Azra Eriç, whose 11 blocks matched a career-high and rank highly in the EMU program records. Eriç added seven more block assists against Southern Indiana, compiling 18 across the doubleheader. 

The freshman class announced itself immediately. Lina Govoni stepped into the primary setter role in her collegiate debut and orchestrated the five-set win over NIU with 26 assists, eight digs and an ace. Haley Trosky combined for 20 kills and 10 total blocks across both matches, capping the Southern Indiana win with the match-clinching kill in the fourth set. Maddie Herman elevated from four kills and four blocks against NIU to eight kills (.294) and six block assists against Southern Indiana.  

Doubleheader Notes 
» Bianca Salvador recorded a match-high 20 kills on a .472 hitting percentage with 12 digs — a double-double — and two aces for 22.5 total points against Northern Illinois in her first career NCAA contest.
» Azra Eriç posted nine kills (.389) with 11 block assists and three aces against NIU, then added a match-high seven block assists against Southern Indiana — 18 combined across the doubleheader.
» Haley Trosky combined for 20 kills and 10 total blocks across both matches, including 11 kills (.417) and the match-clinching kill in set four against Southern Indiana in her collegiate debut. Trosky notched her first double-digit kill performance as an Eagle against USI, putting down 11 off an efficient .417 hitting percentage. She finished with a team-best 12.5 points as she has scored at least 10 in both matches this season. 
» Surabhi Srinivasan posted 12 digs, five assists and one ace against NIU, then matched her career high with 27 digs against Southern Indiana. The showing marked the fifth time in her career and first time this season she's had 20+ in the category. She has led the Eagles in digs in both matches this season. 
» Lina Govoni recorded 26 assists, eight digs and one ace in her collegiate debut against NIU, then added 11 assists, three digs and one ace against Southern Indiana. 
» Julia Johnson contributed 16 assists, four digs and one ace against NIU, then paced all EMU setters with a career-best 18 assists and two aces against Southern Indiana, including a clutch ace late in set four. Her performances mark her first time with consecutive 10+ assists games in her collegiate career. 
» Maddie Herman posted four kills (.333) and four total blocks against NIU in her collegiate debut, then elevated to eight kills (.294) and six block assists against Southern Indiana for 11.0 total points. 
» Taeley Mahler combined for 13 kills and 10 total blocks across the doubleheader, starting both matches. 
» Mia Schaefer (Willoughby, Ohio/Niagara) contributed eight digs and one ace with a .909 reception percentage against NIU, then added 12 digs and two aces against Southern Indiana. 
» Eastern Michigan out-blocked Northern Illinois 16 to nine in game one and out-blocked Southern Indiana 14 to three in game two, totaling 30 team blocks on the day. Eastern is 26-18 when out-blocking its foe under Head Coach Kevin Foeman after recording a 10-2 record when accomplishing the feat last season.  
» EMU hit .221 against NIU's .205 in game one and forced Southern Indiana into 32 attack errors while limiting USI to a .139 hitting percentage in game two. EMU is 28-4 when out-hitting its opponent under Foeman.  
» Nattie Slusher, Herman, and Olivia Beaudrie each recorded career highs against USI. Slusher landed eight kills and two blocks, Herman drilled eight kills with six blocks, and Beaudrie posted eight kills, eight digs, and three blocks. 

Doubleheader Historical Notes 
» Eastern Michigan's 2-0 start is the program's best since 2018, when the Eagles opened with back-to-back 3-0 neutral-site wins over Fordham and Central Connecticut.  
» Eastern Michigan has now started 1-0 in each of the past two seasons (2025, 2026), continuing a streak of opening-weekend wins. 
» The matchup with Southern Indiana marked the first-ever meeting between Eastern Michigan and Southern Indiana volleyball. EMU is now 1-0 against the Screaming Eagles. 
» Eastern and NIU met for the 70th time, first time as non-conference opponents, and just the third time at a neutral site. Eastern is 31-39 against NIU all-time and 1-2 when facing them at a neutral site. 
» Azra Eriç's 11 blocks against NIU tie for the second-most in a five-set contest in the rally scoring era (2008-present). Additionally, her 11 block assists tie for the third-most by value in a match of any length since the programs' inception in 1976.   
» With seven total blocks against NIU, Haley Trosky is the first Eagle to record seven or more blocks in her NCAA debut in the rally scoring era.   
 

Miami | Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
HUNTSVILLE, Texas — The Miami University volleyball team opened the Bearkat Invitational by taking down McNeese (0-1) in three sets to earn its first victory of the season on Friday. Chelsea Williams led all players with 17 kills Molly Creech followed closely behind with 15 kills of her own. Holland Van Deusen added a match-high 19 assists and 13 digs, while Lindy Radaszewski made a statement on defense with a career-best three solo blocks. The RedHawks (1-1) fell in five sets to Sam Houston (2-0) on Friday night in the Bearkat Invitational.

GAME ONE NOTES:
  • Kreutz led all players with two service aces.
  • Rachel Morgan and Van Deusen made their first start of their careers.
  • Kendall Bosse, Madison Brown, Van Deusen and Morgan each made their collegiate debuts.
GAME TWO NOTES:
  • Creech led the RedHawks with 17 kills and three service aces (tied for the most of her career).
  • Van Deusen tallied the most assists for the Red and White (21).
  • Rachel Morgan totaled the most digs of the match (26).


Buffalo | Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
ST. LOUIS – The University at Buffalo women's volleyball (1-1, 0-0 MAC) split their action on opening day of the 2026 season at the Billiken Invitational. To start the invite, the Bulls defeated the UIC Flames in five sets. In their second match of the day, the Bulls fell to the host Saint Louis Billikens in four sets.

MATCH 1 VS. UIC
The Bulls earned their first victory of the season over the UIC Flames on Friday afternoon in five sets. Buffalo outhit the opposition, .233 to .178, as they finished with 65 kills. This was the Bulls' first neutral site win since the 2023 season.

Freshman Angelina Siepierski led the attack with 15 kills and a .345 hitting percentage. Senior Manoela Forlin added 14 kills for the Bulls. Sydney Bell had 11 kills and four blocks as Haily Campagna rounded out the top attackers with 10 kills.

Ava Kanj tied a career-high with six total blocks. Maddie Mitchell recorded her 14th career double-double with a match-high 42 assists and 13 digs.

MATCH 2 AT SAINT LOUIS
The Saint Louis Billikens defended their home court on Friday evening in four sets. The Billikens dominated the offensive attack as they hit .325 to the Bulls' .105.

Hailey Campagna led the Bulls with 16 kills as Anaya Cole led with 12 digs.


Ohio | Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
HUNTINGTON, W. Va. – The Ohio volleyball team (2-0, 0-0 MAC) kicked off the 2026 season with two dominant victories over Bucknell (0-1, 0-0 Patriot) and Niagara (0-2, 0-0 MAAC) at the Marshall Invitational on Friday, Aug. 28. Ohio swept both Bucknell (25-16, 25-21, 25-19) and Niagara (25-10, 25-11, 25-10).

GAME 1: Ohio finished with 49 kills, three aces, five blocks, 45 assists, and 44 digs. Bucknell finished with 29 kills, 1 ace, five blocks, 27 assists and 35 digs. The Bobcats' offense played a huge part in their win, with the team recording a .327 hitting percentage.

Sophomore Bailey Blair recorded a team-best .522 attack percentage with 15 kills and three errors on 23 total attacks. Blair also tallied a team-high 16 points. Freshman Rowan Kelly led the team with 38 assists in addition to three kills, two aces and six points. Freshman Rose Mahin and senior Torre Kildow were also top contributors to Ohio's offense. Mahin recorded nine kills and 9.5 points while Kildow added eight kills and 8.5 points.

Defensively, Kelly led the team with 12 digs. Mahin and sophomore Lacy Marx combined for 19 digs total. Seniors Olivia Gardner , Emily Waddell , Blair and Kelly all recorded two block assists each.

GAME 2: Ohio finished with 49 kills, five aces, eight blocks, 44 assists and 36 digs. Niagara finished with 20 kills, three blocks, 19 assists and 25 digs. The Bobcats recorded an impressive .506 team hitting percentage while holding the Purple Eagles to a .013 percentage.

Kildow led Ohio's offense with a team-high 13 points. She recorded a .474 attack percentage with 11 kills and only two errors on 19 total attacks. Kelly was once again an impactful player for Ohio, distributing 30 assists. Gardner and Blair were also top performers against Niagara. Both players finished the game with nine kills and 11 points each.

Gardner and Waddell held it down at the net for the Bobcats. The pair led the team in blocks with four block assists apiece. Also, Kildow, Kelly and Mahin tallied a team-high seven digs each.


Akron | Box Score 1 
JOHNSON CITY, TN --The Akron volleyball team displayed notable resilience with a five set win in its season opening match over the East Tennessee State Buccaneers on the road at Brooks Gymnasium on Friday (Aug. 28).

The Zips offense was paced by Delaney Gash, who finished with 15 kills on a .306 hitting percentage and added six assists. Gash also contributed defensively with seven digs and three blocks, while Clara Christensen and Masa Prascevic tossed up 24 and 15 assists, respectively.

Supporting the offensive attack with double-digit kills were Chidera  Ozoh (11) and Lauren Wilson (10). Ozoh also collected three blocks, while Lyndi Wolf joined the block party with three stops. Wolf also distributed three aces, joined by Vanessa del Real and Reilly Chausse with three each.

Del Real led the Zips defensively on the ground with 26 digs and Masa followed with seven.

Game Notes
» Akron had three players in double figures in kills.
» Lyndi Wolf had a team-high three aces in the win.
» Akron served up five aces on the way to a first-set victory.
» Akron never trailed on the way to winning the fourth set 15-11.
» Delaney Gash had a team-high 15 kills for Akron.
» Akron got a match-high 26 digs from Vanessa Del Real.
» Akron attackers were helped by a match-high 24 assists from Clara Christensen.


Kent State | Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 
BLACKSBURG, Va. – The Kent State volleyball team split its opening matches at the Hokie Invitational on Friday, falling to host Virginia Tech (3-0) and then beating Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference preseason favorite Coppin State (3-2).

Junior Avrey Rigney paced the offense with 22 kills over the two contests. Junior Nadia Miller added 15 kills and team-high eight blocks. The defense was led by junior Lesley Furuta, who totaled 32 digs and added four aces.


Toledo | Box Score 1 
TOLEDO, Ohio – Toledo women's volleyball kicked off its 2026 season with a 3-0 sweep (25-18, 25-19, 26-24) over Bradley at Savage Arena.

The Rockets (1-0) offense was led by Sierra Pertzborn with 12 kills on a .321 clip. Freshman Audrey Dyas recorded eight kills and a .467 hitting percentage to go along with a team-best three blocks in her collegiate debut. Senior outside Ava Siefke also chipped in eight blocks in her first-ever Toledo action.

Setters Maddy Bach and Janelle Green also made their debuts in a Rocket uniform. Bach recorded 20 assists, while Green tallied a career-best 15 helpers. Sophomore Jessica Costlow had a team-high 17 digs, with junior libero Grace Freiberger recording 15 digs, five assists and two service aces.


Western Michigan | Box Score 1 
KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Juniors Annalise Patchett and Izzy Swiercz each recorded double-doubles to help the Western Michigan volleyball team open up the 2026 season with a 3-1 victory (25-18, 25-27, 25-11, 27-25) over Green Bay on Friday night.
 
Patchett and Swiercz recorded 13 kills and 10 digs apiece, with Patchett also tying for the team lead with four blocks. The 10 digs were a career high for Patchett, who notched her first collegiate double-double. Swiercz's double-double was her first as a Bronco.
 
Joining Swiercz with a strong debut for the Brown and Gold was fellow transfer Gabby Weihe, who put down eight kills on a .353 hitting percentage. Leah Richmond handed out 42 assists to help Western Michigan hit .262 for the evening and also served up a career-high four of WMU's 11 aces. Patchett, Swiercz and Cassidy Pratley all added two aces apiece for the Broncos.