As we enter the second full week of January, the chaos of the transfer portal is giving way to the calm of roster clarity. 

More than 600 Division I players have entered the transfer portal since the beginning of December. Many of those student-athletes have found new homes as the second semester begins. However, once an athlete is in the portal, they do not have a deadline to find a new home. The academic calendar and personal preference dictate their timeline. 

Even though the number of transfers was still massive, the transfer season lacked the pizzazz of the last few years, as the movement lacked the high-end talent changing programs. Overall, only five All-Americans (and three honorees from the past season) changed schools. It was a good time to be looking for a new setter, as many quality quarterbacks of the volleyball court opted for a change of scenery. 

Nebraska has been quiet on both the coming and going fronts. No player entered the portal at the end of the season for the second straight season. However, the portal reopens at the beginning of May for two weeks, and the Huskers might see some movement during that window. 

Here’s a list of the biggest winners from the transfer portal and a few teams that came out on the short end — so far. (All players are listed by their eligibility for the 2026 season.) 

Winners:

𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐃𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐬’ 𝐁𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞!

Mustangs, help us welcome home one of the best outside hitters in the country, Suli Davis ✌️#GoMustangs | @SMUMustangs pic.twitter.com/W16cYI4L8F

— SMU Volleyball (@SMUVolleyball) December 17, 2025

SMU 

Added: OH Suli Davis, sophomore, from BYU; OPP Gabi Placide, senior, Ole Miss; S Ava Sarafa, junior, Kentucky; L Victoria Harris, junior, South Carolina. 

Lost: OH Kennedi Rogers, sophomore, to Tennessee. 

SMU needed to find a few plug-and-play pieces after losing six players from last year’s team, which included 11 freshmen and sophomores. Once again, the Mustangs hit the portal hard to fill in the roster holes.

Davis was one of the biggest prizes in the portal. However, the Big 12 Freshman of the Year wasn’t really on the market as she entered the portal with a “Do Not Contact” tag and ended up with her hometown Mustangs. The Euless, Texas, native was a second-team All-American this past year and offers long-term potential as she reunites with several other players she played club volleyball with at TAV in the Metroplex.

In addition to Davis, the Mustangs added three undervalued SEC players. Placide was fifth in kills per set and third in points per set at Ole Miss. Harris was fourth in the SEC in digs per set for the Gamecocks and had a 54.6 good pass percentage. Sarafa got beat out by freshman Kassie O’Brien, the AVCA National Freshman of the Year, as the starting setter at Kentucky and will compete with Hannah Beauford for the job at SMU. 

An All-American making her way down to Aggieland 👍#GigEm // #AggieVB pic.twitter.com/AkJGiuJGp1

— Texas A&M Volleyball (@AggieVolleyball) December 23, 2025

Texas A&M

Added: OH Natalie Ring, senior, Marquette; MB Kaia Castle, sophomore, Ohio State; MB Eliza Sharp, sophomore, Boise State. 

Lost: None. 

The Aggies needed to boost their roster after losing nine seniors and three All-Americans from the national championship-winning team. They also needed to bridge the gap before a pair of 2027 Top 10 prospects (OH Isabel Incinelli and S Sophee Peterson) arrive on campus next year. 

The highlight of the group is Ring, who earned All-American honors at Marquette last season. She’s a proven arm and averaged 4.60 kills per set while hitting .274. She’ll pair very well with tournament breakout star Kyndal Stowers on the left pin. 

The other area of need for A&M was the middle blocker position after the graduation of Ifenna Cos-Ipkalla and Morgan Perkins. The Aggies signed Sharp, the Mountain West Freshman of the Year, and Castle, who flashed her potential in an otherwise dreadful season at Ohio State and broke the OSU school record with 15 blocks against Troy. 

Penn State

Added: S Alexis Stucky, senior, from Florida; MB Ryla Jones, junior, Pitt; OH/RS Whiteny Lauenstein, senior, Texas

Lost: S Izzy Starck, junior, to Pitt; OH Karis Willow, senior, uncommitted; MB Catherine Burke, junior, Wake Forest; OH Marin Collins, sophomore, Georgia.

After Starck left the team in September, the Nittany Lions’ biggest need was a setter. The need was amplified later in the fall when 2026 signee Danielle Whitmire suffered a knee injury during her final prep season. PSU got the answer from Stucky, who will reunite with her former Gator teammate Kennedy Martin for their final collegiate season. Stucky also suffered a knee injury in her second year at Florida after earning All-American honors as a freshman, but has remained one of the top setters in the country, which should elevate the Nittany Lions’ offense. 

Jones should step in at middle to fill the absence of Maggie Mendelson and Jordan Hopp. She hit .404 as a freshman with 1.14 kills and 1.03 blocks per set, but lost playing time this past year to freshman Abbey Emch. Lauenstein adds more firepower to the offense, but doesn’t do much to solve one of PSU’s biggest weaknesses from last year: passing. She likely won’t displace Martin, so she will join a crowded group on the left pin that includes fellow former Nebraska opposite Caroline Jurevicius, along with Emmi Sellman, Alexis Ewing and freshman Finley Krystkowiak. 

Pretty good Christmas gift 😉

Everyone welcome Izzy Starck to the Pitt fam!

🔗 https://t.co/Y5CnRP62bS pic.twitter.com/LVxhNKMjnf

— Pitt Volleyball (@Pitt_VB) December 23, 2025

Pittsburgh

Added: S Izzy Starck, junior, from Penn State; MB Jordyn Daily, junior, Kentucky; 

Lost: MB Ryla Jones, junior, to Penn State; MB Dalia Vîrlan, junior, Oregon; S Kiana Dinn, sophomore, South Carolina. 

It was no secret that Stark was entering the portal after she left the Nittany Lions in September. She didn’t leave Pennsylvania and will team up with two-time reigning Player of the Year Olivia Babcock. Starck is an elite talent, having been an All-American, the National Freshman of the Year, and a key contributor to Penn State’s 2024 national title. Stark is listed as a junior on the Panthers’ roster. If she has contemporaneous medical documentation from the past year, she could be granted a medical hardship and receive an additional year of eligibility. 

Pitt’s other big need was at middle blocker. The Panthers lost Bre Kelley to graduation, and then two other reserves left via the portal. They added Dailey, who can also play opposite, and should pair well with Abbey Emch. 

The newest Bluejay setter 🔥

Katie Dalton, welcome to Creighton Volleyball!

📰: https://t.co/eiZ8v5OvJf#GoJays pic.twitter.com/1Sm4RPX3bg

— Creighton Volleyball (@CreightonVB) December 23, 2025

Creighton

Added: S Katie Dalton, senior, from Kansas; MB Ayden Ames, junior, Texas; OH Trinity Shadd-Ceres, junior, Wisconsin

Lost: OH/OPP Sophia Wendlick, junior, uncommitted; S Emersen Strain, junior, Jacksonville.

The Bluejays didn’t miss a beat in Brian Rosen’s first year at the helm. Creighton returned to the Elite Eight but faces another challenging task in replacing three All-Americans. The Bluejays hope to have their next great setter in Dalton, who led Kansas to the regional semifinals. She will follow in the footsteps of Kendra Wait and Annalea Maeder. Ames started 55 of 57 matches in her two years at Texas and should slide in seamlessly to the starting lineup for All-American Elise Goetzinger. Finally, Shadd-Ceres doesn’t get much court time at Wisconsin, appearing in 13 matches over two seasons, but she oozes athleticism and potential.

Our 2026 roster is shaping up nicely 🤩

Read about our five transfer signees below!#ForksUphttps://t.co/N0dO0OvzHI

— Sun Devil Volleyball (@SunDevilVB) January 9, 2026

Arizona State

Added: OH Aniya Clinton, senior, from Kansas State; OH Una Vajagic, junior, Wisconsin; MB Aurora Papac, sophomore, Kansas; MB Tosia Serafinowska, sophomore, Wisconsin; S Isabella Costantini, senior, UTRGV. 

Lost: L Bella Faria, junior, uncommitted

The Sun Devils lost six seniors following the 2025 season but reloaded through an international-flavored portal shopping spree, with four coming from outside the United States. Clinton and Vajagic (Serbia) added instant offense as they look to build on their roles as the second-best attackers on their respective teams last year. Costantini (Brazil) was a two-time Southland Setter of the Year. Papac (Croatia) recorded 107 blocks at Kansas. Serafinowska (Poland) appeared in five matches in two years at Wisconsin. 

✍️ Welcome to the 608, @JaelaAuguste!

📝 | https://t.co/Ohchs5CCUI pic.twitter.com/jNbEc4KOky

— Wisconsin Volleyball (@BadgerVB) December 22, 2025

Best single-player additions

Kentucky — The national runners-up needed to replace Eva Hudson at the left pin and found a capable candidate in Morgan Gaerte. The junior outside hitter averaged 4.64 kills for Notre Dame last season and earned All-ACC honors. 

San Diego — The Toreros returned to the NCAA tournament last year and then increased their odds of returning with the addition of former Washington Kierstyn Barton. The All-Big Ten outside hitter averaged 3.57 kills and 1.96 digs per set for the Huskies last year. 

Wisconsin — The Badgers were a mixed bag. They got the best middle blocker available in Florida’s Jaela Auguste, who should lessen the departure of seniors Carter Booth and Alicia Andrew. Auguste was an All-American last year for the Gators after putting up 2.69 kills on a .368 hitting percentage. On the downside, Wisconsin lost six other players to the portal, including rising sophomore outside hitter Una Vajagic. Her departure caught UW coach Kelly Sheffield off guard, as she was expected to take a bigger role in the offense next year. The other transfers were primarily young reserves, including setter Addy Horner to TCU. Overall,  Wisconsin should be fine as it brings in four Top 25 recruits to bolster its ranks. 

Also under consideration: S Marina Crownover from Missouri to Oregon; MB Brooke Bultema from Kentucky to Louisville and OPP Jovana Zelenovic from Kansas to Miami (Florida).

Mixed Bag: 

All in on Florida 🐊

Welcome to the Gator family, Kamryn Chaney!

ℹ️ https://t.co/HlRgU4NHqn pic.twitter.com/kWUczz09GZ

— Gators Volleyball (@GatorsVB) December 17, 2025

Florida

Added: OH Kamryn Chaney, senior, Vanderbilt; OH Selena Leban, junior, Kansas; S Bri Denney, senior, Baylor; MB Bri Holladay, sophomore, Virginia Tech

Lost: S Alexis Stucky, senior, to Penn State; MB Jaela Auguste, junior, Wisconsin; MB De’Andrea McMillian, sophomore, TCU

The Gators lost two of their top players from this past season in Stucky and Auguste. Junior setter Taylor Parks should soften the blow of Stucky’s departure, but losing an All-American at middle blocker hurts. McMillian redshirted this past year. Chaney and Leban should help breakout star Jordyn Byrd on offense, and Holladay showed potential in her one year at Virginia Tech. 

Tennessee

Added: OPP/S Jalyn Stout, senior, from Coastal Carolina; OH Kennedi Rogers, sophomore, SMU; OH Nia Hall, senior, South Carolina; L Marta Lazzarin, sophomore, Georgia State. 

Lost: S Izzy Mogridge, sophomore, to Utah; OPP Paityn Chapman, junior, Illinois; S Camdyn Stucky, sophomore, Kansas State; OPP Starr Williams, senior, Grand Canyon; OH/OPP Sydney Jones, junior, Houston; OH Cate Schnell, junior, uncommitted; MB Zoë Humphrey, sophomore, Georgia Tech; MB Kiki Granberry, senior, Indiana.

The Lady Vols saw a mass exodus as eight players hit the portal shortly after their season ended. Those players combined to start 50 matches, so they won’t lose much in production, but it’s never a good sign when that many players leave. Eve Rackham Watt will have a roster reset with that much player turnover. 

The one victory for UT was that 2023 All-American setter Caroline Kerr decided to stick around Knoxville. The Lady Vols added Rogers to the mix, who showed out in her first year with SMU, as well as triple-double machine Jalyn Stout to the roster, although with Kerr still running the offense, Stout will likely be limited to just attacking. 

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Student-Athletes at the University of South Carolina ended the Fall 2025 semester with a departmental grade point average (GPA) of 3.51, the second highest semester departmental GPA in program history (Spring 2020 – 3.70).

This marks the department’s 38th consecutive semester with a departmental GPA above 3.0.

The cumulative grade point average for student-athletes in each sport since they arrived at Carolina is 3.52, which stands as the highest cumulative GPA ever for Gamecock student-athletes. In addition, department named 105 student-athletes to the President’s List for earning a 4.0 GPA, 194 student-athletes to the Dean’s List (3.5 GPA) and 435 to the Athletics Director’s Honor Roll (3.0 GPA).

“In this new era of intercollegiate athletics, the commitment to being a student-athlete has not changed,” said Athletics Director Jeremiah Donati. “Our student-athletes work hard at their athletic craft and in the classroom. We appreciate their hard work and the efforts of our academic services staff for the outstanding support they provide our student-athletes. Also, we are incredibly appreciative of our Gamecock Club members whose philanthropic giving helps fund scholarships, meal and housing costs, medical expenses, and other areas of support.”

“To have 38 consecutive semesters of a 3.0 GPA is a result of the culture of excellence that has been developed by our student-athletes,” said Charlie Ball, Senior Associate AD for Academics. “The Dodie Academic Team is dedicated to the academic accomplishments of our student-athletes, which helps build a foundation for career success.”

All 18 teams earned a 3.0 GPA or higher for the semester for the second time in program history. Women’s Tennis had the highest team GPA for the fall at 3.77, followed closely by Men’s Soccer at 3.71, and Equestrian at 3.70.

A total of 26 student-athletes graduated after the Fall semester, with 262 student-athletes earning degrees during the last four semester graduation exercises (since Spring 2024).

Team – Fall 2025 Semester GPA
Baseball – 3.49*
Men’s Basketball – 3.36*
Women’s Basketball – 3.56
Beach Volleyball – 3.69
Equestrian – 3.70*
Football – 3.28
Men’s Golf – 3.54
Women’s Golf – 3.64
Men’s Soccer – 3.71
Women’s Soccer – 3.69
Softball – 3.63
Men’s Swimming and Diving – 3.70*
Women’s Swimming and Diving – 3.69
Men’s Tennis – 3.05
Women’s Tennis – 3.77
Men’s Track and Field – 3.51*
Women’s Track and Field / Cross Country – 3.30
Volleyball – 3.54

* – Highest semester GPA in sport program history

The Fall 2025 Semester continued a history of academic excellence for Gamecock athletics. A snapshot of recent successes include:

* From 2015-16, South Carolina leads all schools with 4,225 members in the Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Roll. South Carolina led all schools in the SEC Academic Honor Roll in seven of the last 10 years and in top 3 in the remaining three years.

* Ten Gamecocks earned College Sports Communicators Academic All-America honors in 2024-25, the most ever for USC in the history of the Academic All-America program (previous high: 7 – 2013-14 & 2008-09). A total of 53 Gamecocks earned CSC Academic All-District honors in 2024-25.

* Two Gamecocks earned conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors in their respective sports. Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk was the SEC Men’s Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year and Louise Rydqvist earned the SEC Women’s Golf Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors.

* All University of South Carolina’s countable intercollegiate sports posted a multiyear score of 950 or better, according to the Academic Progress Rate (APR) statistics for the 2023-24 academic year. Carolina had 13 sports reach a perfect single-year score (1000) for the 2023-24 academic year, the second highest total ever by Gamecock Athletics, only behind 14 sports total in 2015-16. Sixteen of the 18 sports maintained or improved on their previous year APR scores. Eleven of the 18 measured sports surpassed the national multi-year average while volleyball registered a perfect single-year score for the 11th-straight year. Beach Volleyball continues its streak of perfect APR scoring since the NCAA started collecting data for the sport.

* USC athletic programs tied for third in the Southeastern Conference in the latest Graduation Success Rates (GSR), which measures the number of scholarship student-athletes that graduate within a six-year period of their initial full-time enrollment. For the report, the GSR is based on student-athletes who entered college in the fall of 2017. South Carolina’s athletic teams had a 94 percent score, which tied with Auburn University and the University of Mississippi in the SEC behind Vanderbilt (96) and Alabama (96). South Carolina’s Football GSR score (95) ranked second among SEC schools and South Carolina schools. It tied for ninth among all Power 4 schools.

Men’s Volleyball | 1/13/2026 1:02:00 PM

Brady Stump, a member of the Saint Francis men’s volleyball team, has been named the NEC Player of the Week.

Stump showed exactly why he deserved Player of the Week honors, even in a pair of tough losses to No. 8 BYU. He was an offensive threat, totaling 17 kills on the weekend and delivering a 12 kill performance against one of the nation’s top programs. Stump also made his impact felt from the service line with five aces and contributed defensively with four digs. 

Saint Francis returns to action with two games in Kentucky on Friday and Saturday. Game time is 7 p.m. and 4 p.m.

AMES, Iowa – The College Sports Communicators (CSC) has named Rachel Van Gorp a First Team Academic All-American, announced Tuesday.

Van Gorp is the second to earn first team honors, and sixth overall Academic All-American in program history. The sophomore was one of seven 2025 First Team Academic All-America selections.

The star on the court and in the classroom was named the AVCA National Libero of the Year and a Second Team All-American last month. Van Gorp has put up a GPA of 3.97 as she works toward her degree in kinesiology in health.

Van Gorp also concludes the season with the honors of AVCA First Team All-Region, Big 12 Libero of the Year and All-Big 12 First Team.

Iowa State Volleyball Academic All-Americans

2025 – Rachel Van Gorp, First Team

2022 – Alexis Engelbrecht, Third Team

2017 – Alexis Conaway, First Team

2012 – Jamie Straube, Second Team

1995 – Kirstin Hugdahl, Third Team

1994 – Kirstin Hugdahl, Third Team

OMAHA, Neb. — Recent Creighton Volleyball graduates Kiara Reinhardt and Ava Martin have been named Academic All-Americans, as chosen by College Sports Communicators. Reinhardt was a First Team choice while Martin was selected to the Second Team. Creighton is the only Division I school with a Women’s Volleyball Academic All-American in each of the past four seasons.
 
The 2025 Academic All-America® Volleyball Teams, selected by College Sports Communicators (formerly known as CoSIDA), recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field or court and in the classroom.

Reinhardt is just the third different Creighton Volleyball player ever to earn First Team Academic All-America honors from College Sports Communicators, joining Abby Bottomley (2021) and Kendra Wait (2023, 2024). She’s one of 16 student-athletes in Creighton history in all sports to earn the prestigious honor.

Creighton (2) and Stanford (3) are the only schools with multiple Academic All-Americans this year, and the Bluejays remain the only school with multiple Volleyball Academic All-Americas each of the past three seasons. This year marks just the fourth occasion that Creighton Volleyball has had multiple Academic All-Americans, joining 2018 (Jaali Winters, Taryn Kloth), 2023 (Kendra Wait and Kiana Schmitt) and 2024 (Wait, Norah Sis). 

A sixth-year senior from Cedarburg, Wis., Reinhardt led all players in BIG EAST with a school-record .447 hitting percentage, which ranked sixth nationally. The two-time All-BIG EAST selection and AVCA Second Team All-American in 2025 finished her career as the winningest player in program history and was third in career hitting percentage as well as fourth in career blocks. A Nursing major, Reinhardt was a three-time Academic All-District choice (2022, 2024, 2025), but this is her first Academic All-America accolade. Reinhardt now plays professionally for the Omaha Supernovas in Major League Volleyball.

Martin had her best season in a Bluejay uniform, earning BIG EAST Player of the Year honors before taking home BIG EAST Tournament MVP accolades as well. The four-time All-BIG EAST selection from Overland Park, Kan., is a three-time AVCA All-America pick, earning Second Team accolades in December following her senior season. Martin is a Marketing major and earned Dean’s List acclaim in 2024-25. Martin now plays in Major League Volleyball for the Atlanta Vibe.

Coached by Brian Rosen, Creighton finished the 2025 season with a 28-6 record and reached the program’s third Elite Eight since 2016, in addition to earning a 12th straight BIG EAST regular-season title.



Creighton has now had 55 student-athletes earn a combined 69 Academic All-America awards across all sports. Today’s recognition gives Creighton Volleyball 14 Academic All-America awards in program history, just ahead of softball (11) and men’s soccer (11) for the most by any Bluejay program.

Creighton Volleyball’s College Sports Communicators All-Americans

FIRST TEAM ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA

Abby Bottomley – 2021

Kiara Reinhardt – 2025

Kendra Wait – 2023, 2024

 

SECOND TEAM ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA

Megan Bober – 2012

Ava Martin – 2025

Norah Sis – 2024

Kendra Wait – 2022

Jaali Winters – 2018

 

THIRD TEAM ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA

Emily Greisch – 2006

Taryn Kloth – 2018

Kiana Schmitt – 2023

Jaali Winters – 2017

Brittany Witt – 2019

 

 

For more information about CSC Academic All-District® and Academic All-America® Teams program, visit AcademicAllAmerica.com.

FIRST TEAM

Name                                School                                             Yr.       GPA         Major

Kamryn Hunt                       University of Dayton                             Jr.       4.00         Sport Management

Kennedy Martin (1)               Penn State                                         Jr.       3.84         Labor & Human Resources

Jackie Moore                       Vanderbilt University                            Sr.       4.00         Political Science

Bergen Reilly (1)                  University of Nebraska                         Jr.       3.83         Business & Law

Kiara Reinhardt                    Creighton University                            Sr.       3.85/3.95   Nursing

Elia Rubin (2)                      Stanford University                              Sr.       3.88         Science, Technology & Society

Rachel Van Gorp                  Iowa State University                           So.      3.97         Kinesiology & Health

 

SECOND TEAM

Name                                School                                             Yr.       GPA         Major

Claire Ammeraal                  University of Iowa                                Sr.       3.98         Biology

Avah Armour                       UCF                                                 Jr.       3.94         Finance

Lizzy Andrew                       Stanford University                              So.      3.83         Undeclared

Cassidy Hartman                  University of Northern Iowa                   Jr.       3.92         Biochemistry

Emma Hickey                      Valparaiso University                           Sr.       3.93         Civil Engineering

Allison Jacobs (3)                 University of Michigan                          Gr.      4.00/3.56   Real Estate Development Certificate

Ava Martin                          Creighton University                            Sr.       3.51         Marketing

Maya Sands                        University of Missouri                           Sr.       3.85         Parks, Recreation, Sport, & Tourism

 

THIRD TEAM

Name                                School                                             Yr.       GPA         Major

Callie Bauer                        Western Kentucky University                 Sr.       3.88         Management

Korrin Burns                        Saint Francis University                        Sr.       3.82         Physical Therapy

M.E. Hargan                        Morehead State                                  Sr.       3.88         Veterinary Science

Jordyn Harvey                     Stanford University                              Jr.       3.67         International Relations

Brooklyn Jaeger                   Texas A&M-Corpus Christi                    So.      4.00         Kinesiology

Avery Jolley                        Winthrop University                             Sr.       4.00          Business Administration

CSC Academic All-America® Team Member of the Year: Bergen Reilly, University of Nebraska

(1) – 1st team Academic All-America® in 2024

(2) – 2nd team Academic All-America® in 2024