2026 Roster
2026 Schedule
2025 Statistics

MILWAUKEE, Wis. – Year three under head coach Neilee' Newton begins next week, on Thursday, Sept. 3, as the Inferno return plenty of talent and bring in strong reinforcements for the upcoming campaign.

Newton has high expectations for the team this season as they return a large portion of their talent, including sophomore Mary Needham (San Tan Valley, Ariz./Poston Butte), who was an all-conference selection last season, along with key contributors from last season in sophomore libero Brooklynne Hereford (Beloit, Wis./Beloit Memorial) and sophomore middle Sofia Mitchell (Denver, Colo./Denver School of Science and Technology: Montview).

"Our biggest goal this season is to take things one match at a time while consistently putting ourselves in a position to be successful," said the third-year head coach. "We want to capitalize on the matches we are capable of winning and develop the mental toughness to compete with confidence and consistency regardless of the opponent. With 30 matches on our schedule, reaching 10 or more wins and working toward a .500 record would be a successful season for us. Beyond our overall record, we want to make our mark in our new conference, compete for a spot in the conference tournament, and continue building a culture that will set the foundation for this program moving forward."

This season, Newton is also focused on having the young team build mental toughness and resiliency, as the young team continues to mature.

"Our main areas of focus [this year] are building strong team connections and developing mental toughness," she said. "With a young roster featuring seven freshmen, six sophomores, one junior transfer, and two seniors, we are focused on growing together, embracing challenges, and developing the consistency and resilience needed to compete at a high level.

Fans should also be excited as this young team continues to build upon a strong foundation set last year.

"Last season, we established the foundation of competition, discipline, and grit within our program. This year, we are building on that foundation," said Newton. "We are stronger, faster, and even more exciting to watch. If you enjoyed the talent and growth you saw from us last season, you're in for a treat this year. I am continuing to build something special at Alverno, and our fans can expect a team that competes with energy, confidence, power, and purpose every time we step on the court. Stay tuned!"

Defensive Specialists/Liberos
Sophomore Brooklynne Hereford, who served as the primary libero last season, and junior Elyse Kozikowski (Watertown, Wis./Dodgeland) are slated to lead the Inferno's back row for the upcoming season. Hereford was the team's top defensive presence last year,leading Alverno in total digs (289) and digs per set (3.48). Kozikowski saw time at multiple positions last season and will now focus on her role as a defensive specialist and serve-receive option.

Three newcomers will join the defensive group for Alverno this year in freshman Gwen Kalafut (Columbus, Wis./Columbus), Nasya Robinson(Houston, Texas/Carl Wunsche), and Brooklyn Harris (Tolleson,Ariz./Tolleson Union), who will also factor into the defensive specialist group this year.

Setters
Sophomore Beyonca Hereford (Beloit, Wis./Beloit Memorial) returns to take on theresponsibility of setter in 2026 after backing up former captain SharistyKooch, who ended her career eighth all-time in assists for the program. Hereford saw plenty of action last season, including recording one double-double, and will look to build on the 99 assists she recorded in 2025. Sophomore Carley Juneau (Milwaukee, Wis./St. Francis) also saw time at setter last year, while spending most of her sets at opposite hitter, and will look to work more into the setter mix in 2026.

Freshman Tye'Jai Wright (Detroit, Mich./Advanced Technology Academy) joins the team in 2026 to bolster the setting group and give the Inferno another option to help direct the offense throughout the season.

Both Beyonca Hereford and Wright will also mix into the defensive specialist group as they provide additional depth along the back row.

Outside/Opposite Hitters
Sophomore Mary Needham returns in 2026 after a standout freshman campaign that saw her earn All-Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) Honorable Mention honors and emerge as a key piece of the Inferno attack. Needham led the team with 253 points and 224 kills last year, serving as Alverno's top offensive threat, and will look to build on that production with a mix of returning players and new talent around her. The team's lone senior, Makiyah Buck (Milwaukee, Wis./St. Francis),
also returns for the 2026 season and will be counted on to provide leadership to a group made up primarily of sophomores and freshmen after a 2025 campaign that saw her set career highs in nearly every statistical category.

Along with the incoming group of middle blockers, Alverno will get a much-needed jolt of height after having just five players at 5'7" or taller last year. All five of those players return, while five additional players at 5'7" or taller join the roster to add size and depth at the net. Junior Keegan Russell (South Bend, Ind./Clay), the team's lone college transfer, comes to Alverno from Glen Oaks Community College, where she was a MCCAA All-Western Conference Second Team selection last year after totaling 299 points and 2.22 kills per set. Freshman Jayden Koziol (Willowbrook, Ill./Hinsdale) joins Needham as one of two players at 5'10", while freshman Olivia McCann (Ennis, Texas/Life High School Waxahachie), who stands at 5'7", will add
another talented option to the 2026 group of outside and opposite hitters, as well as Brooklyn Harris, who will also see time as a back-row defender.

Middle Blockers
Sophomores Sofia Mitchell and Leilani Curtis (Rockford, Ill./Auburn) each return to Alverno to anchor the middle for the young Inferno roster. Mitchell is coming off a strong season in which she led the team in blocks (42) and finished third on the team in kills (98). Curtis finished just behind her teammate Mitchell in both categories, giving Alverno a reliable tandem in the middle.

Freshman Mina Pryor (Lawrenceville, Ga./Berkmar), who stands at 5'9", and Koziol are the two freshmen joining the middle blocker group this year and will look to add depth,
size and another presence at the net for the Inferno in 2026.

Schedule:
The 2026 campaign begins in Belton, Texas, for Alverno, at UMHB, taking on the host team on Thursday, Sept. 3. They play twice the following day, taking on Texas Lutheran and Millsaps on Friday, Sept. 4, and then wrap up their play in Texas against LeTourneau on Saturday, Sept. 5.

The team opens its home schedule and a three-game homestand on Tuesday, Sept. 8, taking on former conference opponent Dominican in Reiman Gymnasium. On Friday, Sept. 11, they host Judson University, and then host Maranatha Baptist on Tuesday, September 15.

The Inferno head out on the road for the Forester Invitational on Friday, Sept. 18, and Saturday, Sept. 19, playing Eureka on Friday, as well as Lake Forest and Illinois Tech the following day. The team continues with road action on Wednesday, Sept. 23, heading to Ripon, before wrapping up their five consecutive road games on Friday, Sept. 25, at Loras College at the Grinnell College Triangular on September 26, taking on both Grinnell and Central. Alverno then wraps up September by hosting Lake Forest on Tuesday, Sept. 29.

October begins with the Inferno at the Octoberfest Triangular hosted by Wartburg College, where the team will take on the hosts and UW-Lacrosse on Saturday, Oct. 3. On Tuesday, Oct. 6, Alverno hosts Rockford in Reiman Gymnasium, and then hosts Eureka and UW-River Falls on Saturday, Oct. 10, in a split doubleheader.

On Tuesday, Oct. 13, the Inferno head to Maranatha Baptist for a road match, and return home on Saturday, Oct. 17, to host Kuyper. Alverno then plays five straight road games, taking on Rockford on Oct. 20, followed by a trip to Grand Rapids, Michigan, to face Kuyper on Oct. 23 and Aquinas on Oct. 24. They wrap up the set of road games with a trip to Mount Mary, where they will face the hosts as well as Maranatha on Thursday, Oct. 29.

The home schedule concludes for the Inferno on Halloween, as they host Calumet Saint Joseph on Saturday, Oct. 31. The regular season then concludes on Saturday, Nov. 7, as Alverno heads to Beloit to take on the host Buccaneers, as well as Knox College in the Beloit College Tri. 

The C2C women's volleyball championship begins on Friday, Nov. 13, with both quarterfinal and semifinal matches. The championships, third-place, and fifth-place games occur on Saturday, Nov. 13. The top six teams by NPI qualify for the championships, with the 2026 tournament being hosted by the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia.

(Schedule is subject to change)

Coast-to-Coast Conference Season Preview (from the C2C Conference Office)
Two-time defending Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference (C2C) Volleyball Champion Christopher Newport is in search of its third-straight title heading into the 2026 season. The Captains were voted as the favorite to win the conference crown in this year's preseason coaches' poll, earning 49 points and seven first-place votes.

Salisbury finished second in this year's voting with 43 points, including the last remaining first-place selection. UC Santa Cruz, Mary Washington, and Regent rounded out the top-five with 36, 31, and 26 points, respectively. Johnson & Wales Charlotte and Warren Wilson each earned 14 points in this year's voting to tie for sixth place, while new addition to the league, Alverno, closed out the poll with 11 points.

Competition gets underway on Tuesday, Sept. 1 as teams attempt to claim a top-six finish to qualify for the 2026 C2C Volleyball Championship. Mary Washinton will serve as the 2026 Championship host from Nov. 13-14.
 

2026 C2C Volleyball Preseason Poll
Rank	Team	Points (1st)
1	Christopher Newport	49 (7)
2	Salisbury	43 (1)
3	UC Santa Cruz	36
4	Mary Washington	31
5	Regent	26
T6	JWU Charlotte	14
T6	Warren Wilson	14
8	Alverno	11

 
Below is a brief preview of each team (in rank order) entering the 2026 season:

Christopher Newport: Christopher Newport volleyball extended one of the longest active NCAA Tournament streaks in Division III with an 18th consecutive postseason appearance in 2025. The Captains are coming off back-to-back conference championships and will be led in 2026 by sophomore All-American setter Fielding Croft (Richmond, Va.). A Third Team AVCA All-American, Croft was named the AVCA Region Rookie of the Year and eclipsed 1,000 assists in her first season. She ranked in the top-25 nationally in total assists and was fifth among Division III rookies. Also back in the fold this season are veterans Samantha Dorn (Alexandria, Va.) and Maddie Hanes (Chesapeake, Va.), who each earned First Team All-Conference accolades last season, and C2C Tournament MVP Simara Alexander (Burke, Va.). Head coach Lindsay Birch enters her 24th season at the helm with an overall record of 667-187 for a winning percentage over 78 percent.

Salisbury: Salisbury returns four All-C2C honorees from a 2025 squad that went 29-7, advanced to its fifth straight C2C Tournament Championship, and qualified for a fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament. Leading the way on the front lines are senior setter Julie Altieri (Hillsborough, N.C.), a 2025 All-Region selection, and senior outside Kiley McTaggart (North Wales, Pa.), who took home All-America honorable mention in 2024. The Sea Gulls also bring back an All-C2C middle blocker in Sophia Tapia (Tenafly, N.J.) and an All-C2C libero in Elizabeth Villegas (Charles Town, W.Va.). Newcomers include junior outside Kyra Douglass (Fallston, Md.), a transfer from Division II Shippensburg.

UC Santa Cruz: The UC Santa Cruz Banana Slugs finished last season third in the C2C with a 3-1 victory over Mary Washington in the third place match and will return All-Conference honorees Kate Lau (San Francisco, Calif.) and Margo Melgoza (Sacramento, Calif.). Lau was a standout outside hitter who recorded 123 kills on the season, while adding 21 aces, 43 assists, and 279 digs. Melgoza facilitated the offense as the leading setter with 562 assists, comfortably surpassing 1000 assists in her second season with the Slugs. The Banana Slugs welcome six new faces to this year's roster and are set to take on No. 2 University of La Verne, No. T-24 St. Olaf, No. 15 WashU, RV CMS, No. 18 Christopher Newport, RV Salisbury, No. 6 UW-Eau Claire, and No. 9 Illinois Wesleyan (Final AVCA Rankings from 2025 Season). 

Mary Washington: Third-year head coach Emma Rohde welcomes back 14 players from last year's roster, including three all-conference performers in seniors Sydney Aiken (Apex, N.C.) and Natalie Brown (Stafford, Va.) and junior Alice Holoubek (McLean, Va.). Aiken, a defensive specialist, played in 33 matches a year ago, posting a team-high 344 digs to go with 94 assists and 26 service aces, while Brown played in all 34 matches, with 227 kills, 99 digs, and 58 total blocks from the right side. Holoubek played in every set last season in the middle, posting 159 kills and a team-high 87 total blocks. The top six also returns sophomore Mackenzie Williams (Arlington, Va.), senior Julia Gustafson (Urbana, Md.), and junior Sarah Starling (Stephens City, Va.), paired with a recruiting class that will push for immediate court time for the Eagles.

Regent: The Royals are coming off their third double-digit win season and last year won the most games in program history. Those wins helped them qualify for the C2C Tournament where they took Mary Washington to five sets in the quarterfinals. First year Head Coach MaTia Hughes takes over the program this year and welcomes back sophomore Rylee Stewart (Newport News, Va.), who finished last season ranked third overall in the C2C for assists/game and set the program's single-season record with 595 total assists. In addition, junior Alaina Braun-Duin (Richmond, Va.) and sophomore Keira Anderson (Leland, N.C.) return to give Regent experience on the court. The Royals will also welcome in eight new faces as they look to qualify for the C2C Tournament for a second straight year.

JWU Charlotte: JWU Charlotte looks poised for an improved season in head coach Moana Reid's third year. The Wildcats return eight regulars from 2025, and add setters Loshi Ward (Cherokee, N.C.) and Kyra Musingi (Idaho Falls, Idaho), who each missed the entire season with injuries. Back are the top three attackers from 2025, Marion Bataoel (Palm Harbor, Fla.), Taylor Green (Charlotte, N.C.), and Jordan Mann (Decatur, Ga.), as well as Madison Leslie (Harlem, Ga.), who paced JWU with 357 assists. The Wildcats welcome in eight newcomers to bolster the roster, including three transfers. MiLani McGill (Charlotte, N.C.) and Tatiana Bailey (Concord, N.C.) could make an immediate impact. The schedule features thirty contests, twenty-six of which will be against D-III foes. JWU will take on Regent, Warren Wilson, Christopher Newport, and Mary Washington in matchups against C2C opponents.

Warren Wilson: Warren Wilson returns four student-athletes for the 2026 season. Senior libero Josie McCoy (Troutman, N.C.), who finished in the top-5 in digs last season, and Pandora Keele (Shelbyville, Tenn.), who led the team in blocks and aces, will help lead the way.  Junior Aubrie Wachacha (Robbinsville, N.C.) and sophomore Kylee Egidi (Pickerington, Ohio) will help on both the offensive and defensive sides. Freshmen Akeela Cunningham (Tryon, N.C.) and Aria Parish (Fayetteville, N.C.) will look to step in right away to help replace the losses of KJ Helinsky and Alaina Castengera.

Alverno: Head coach Neilee' Newton will look to build upon the success of her young team last year. There are seven key players coming back to lead the Inferno, reinforced by nine new players for the 2026 season. Leading the way will be All-Conference outside hitter Mary Needham who was an All-Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Honorable Mention selection as a freshman.