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Mark Patton: Strand Clan Made East Beach Volleyball Courts a Family Gathering Place | Sports
Overview:
The legacy of the Strand Family has continued through the sands of time with both AVP and Olympic volleyball stars
East Beach may be a playground, but twin sisters Kelly and Lisa Strand had to work their way there a half-century ago.
They’d follow their older siblings by riding their bikes for six miles, packing nothing but a sack lunch and the hunger to play some beach volleyball.
“We wouldn’t even bring a towel, just an apple and a peanut butter sandwich,” recalled Kelly, who was a junior-high teen at the time. “We’d stay all day.”
Older brother Warren and sister Kathy were often already there.
They’d be holding court with such local volleyball gentry as Karch Kiraly, a future Olympic gold medalist in both the indoor and beach games.
It took countless hours of playing and pestering before the little sisters were included with all the “Queen Kathies of the Beach”: Kathy Gregory, Kathy Hanley and sister Kathy Strand.
“There was definitely a pecking order,” Lisa told Noozhawk. “We worked hard to get to play on the big girl court.
“We’d beg people to let us play. Thank God we were twins because we always had each other to play with.”
Lisa and Kelly will be paired again later this month when the Friends of East Beach Association dedicates “The Strand Court” in their honor.
The festivities will be held at Court No. 3 beginning at 10 a.m. May 31.
The organization has dedicated itself to improving the 16 permanent courts at East Beach. It renovated the first one in the name of the late Henry Bergmann in 2010.
Other courts have been named in honor of Kiraly, siblings John and Kathy Hanley, Gregory, Paul Hodgert and Jon Lee.
“It’s a pretty proud moment for us,” said Kelly, who’s now known by her married name of Kelly Van Winden. “It’s really cool because the name of the court will be The Strand Court.
“I just love that my family gets to be honored.”
Don of an Era
She and Lisa caught the volleyball bug while watching their siblings star for coach Rick Olmstead’s indoor teams at Santa Barbara High School.
Brother Warren played with Kiraly and Hanley on the Dons’ CIF-Southern Section championship boys team of 1978.
“We’d go and watch all those games as the tag-along, little sisters,” Kelly said. “It was so much fun.
“Warren and our sister, Kathy, were really good friends with Karch. They were always together, all three of those guys.”
Their father, Leon Strand, even hired Kiraly to help dig the foundation for their house.
“Our dad was the one who was always driving us to the beach or taking us to the park for tennis lessons,” Kelly said. “He taught us how to swim.
“He wanted us to be active, and all of that.”
Their father, who died last October, also took them sailing, skiing, and even backpacking in the mountain ranges of the High Sierra.
“He got us involved with a youth church group,” Lisa said. “He was trying to raise us up right and keep us out of trouble, so he kept us busy.
“We all had to get jobs pretty young … He had us pay for all our shoes and skis.”
He also facilitated their passion for volleyball.
“We’d stay up late in the front yard rallying, so our dad set up a night light,” Lisa said. “With only one volleyball, we had to wait till Warren and Kathy were done to go out and rally.”
Kelly and Lisa, like their older siblings, played for Olmstead at Santa Barbara High. They were both named to the All-CIF Southern Section Division 4A First Team during their senior season in the autumn of 1980.
“I don’t remember how far we went into the CIF playoffs every year, but I do remember all the fun we had and what great shape we were in,” Lisa said. “Our biggest rival was San Marcos.
“We’d go to Frimple’s for breakfast and do car rallies down State Street prior to those games.”
Girls volleyball at that time was in only its ninth year of sanction by the California Interscholastic Federation.
“I didn’t even recognize how lucky I was at the time, I was just riding the wave,” Kelly said. “It was like these doors opened and I just walked through them.
“I’m not saying that it didn’t come with hard work — the drive to play the game came from inside — but I had no idea about all of that.”
The twins also had no clue that volleyball could be the path to a college scholarship. Olmstead took them aside after their senior season to show them an envelope full of recruiting letters that had been addressed to them.
“He told us, ‘I want you to look through this … You can go to college to play volleyball,’” Kelly said. “We were like, ‘What are you talking about? Are you crazy?’
“We had no idea. We were just playing the game.”
The Next Level
Kelly first went to UC Santa Barbara, serving as a team captain her sophomore season, before transferring to Cal Poly.
She earned first-team all-league honors in 1984 and led the Mustangs to a 32-8 record and the championship of the Pacific Coast Athletic Association. (The league was later renamed as the Big West Conference).
Lisa, a versatile middle blocker, enjoyed even greater success at the University of Hawai‘i, earning All-America honors in both 1982 and 1983 while leading the Rainbow Wahine to back-to-back NCAA championships.
But both twins were just getting started with their lives in volleyball.
Kelly competed on the Women’s Professional Volleyball Association beach circuit for more than a decade, finishing as high as third in the Austin, Texas, event.
She also played two seasons with Major League Volleyball’s San José Golddiggers and four more on the four-person Bud Light Pro Beach Tour. She served as captain of the 1993-1994 championship team.
Kelly also coached at Napa Valley College as well as at Sonoma State College, earning three coach of the year honors.
Lisa, like her sister, competed in both Major League Volleyball and on the Bud Light circuit. She also played on the Association of Volleyball Professionals Tour.
She partnered with Janice Opalinski in 1990 to win the AVP’s Salem Fresh Tokyo Tournament — the richest tour event of that year.
They also got busy starting families.
Kelly married her college sweetheart, Cal Poly basketball player Jim Van Winden. Their daughters, Adlee and Torrey, both earned AVCA All-America honors at their parents’ alma mater.
“Much as we exposed our kids to other things, they chose the sport,” Kelly said. “We sort of led them all away from it, but at the same time they all chased it … They all fell in love with it.”
Torrey now plays on the AVP Tour with cousin Katie Spieler, Kathy’s daughter.
Her sister, now known by the married name of Adlee Kass, also still plays volleyball and is expecting her first child this summer.
“She plans on playing six months pregnant in the Santa Barbara Open,” Kelly said.
Lisa and former University of Hawai‘i men’s volleyball star Pono Ma’a are the parents of four former collegiate volleyball stars: Misty (Miami), Micah (UCLA), Mehana (UCSB) and Maluhia (Kent State).
Micah Ma’a made the Men’s National Team as a setter and helped the United States win a bronze medal at last summer’s Olympic Games in Paris.
“I went to Paris with Warren, Kathy and Kelly,” said Lisa, who’s served as a color analyst the last two decades for University Hawai‘i volleyball telecasts.
“We spent 12 days there and it was the most incredible trip I’ve ever been on.”
She claims that watching her children play volleyball doesn’t make her nervous even when an Olympic medal is at stake.
“I am just happy that they loved the sport,” Lisa said.
Beach Party
East Beach has always been their happy place.
Kelly and Jim even held their wedding reception at a venue that overlooked the area.
“East Beach was just such a comfortable place to be,” Kelly said. “It was like my backyard growing up.
“We’d go down there without a towel … Lie in the sand … Then we’d dive into the ocean, come back out, and lie in the sand once more to get warm.”
Lisa recalls that time as “those lazy, crazy days when all you’d do is play and then swim in the ocean.”
“It was like our yard … Our front yard and our back yard,” she said. “We lived to go down there and play.”
She also remembers how satisfying it was when they were accepted by the older players.
“If you lost, you had to wait like forever to get another chance,” Lisa explained, “so it helped with our motivation, and trained us to always win.”
Kelly, who still coaches aspiring players on the sand court that Jim built in their backyard, said “all those women at East Beach have no idea of how influential they were, and in so many ways.”
“They were so wonderful and kind, 99% of the time, to everybody in my family,” she said. “That was pretty huge.”
And it’s something she and her sister have devoted themselves to paying back, over and over again.
- Women’s Basketball:
- After a week in California facing the Cardinal and Golden Bears, The Demon Deacons return home Thursday evening to face in-state rival NC State at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum.Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. on ACC Network Extra.
- In their most recent outing in a close contest with Cal, Wake Forest collected 32 points inside, while allowing Cal to score just 22, a 10-point deficit.
- Across 18 games, the Deacs have totaled 558 points in the paint (31.6 per game).
- Women’s Tennis:
- Wake Forest women’s tennis is set to make its season debut Saturday, January 17 at No. 16 Tennessee.
- The Demon Deacons are seeking revenge after falling 4-3 to the Volunteers in Winston-Salem last season.
- Tennessee is one of four preseason top-16 opponents on the schedule for the Deacs in 2026.
- The team will then make its home debut on Monday, Jan. 19, hosting ETSU. All home matches are free to attend.
- Wake Forest women’s tennis is set to make its season debut Saturday, January 17 at No. 16 Tennessee.
- Track & Field:
- The Wake Forest women’s track and field team are set to return to action with three meets during the month of January.
- The Demon Deacons begin 2026 by competing in the Mondo College Invitational (Jan. 17) at the JDL Fast Track in Winston-Salem.
- The Deacs will then have a dual slate during the final week of the month, with one group heading to Lynchburg, Va. to compete at the Brant Tolsma Invitational (Jan. 30-31), while another group traveling to Boston for the John Thomas Terrier Classic (Jan. 31).
- The Wake Forest women’s track and field team are set to return to action with three meets during the month of January.
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About Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University is known for its distinctive combination of world-class academics, unrivaled campus experience, intimate learning environment and Power 4 athletics in a top-growing metro market. A Charter member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Demon Deacons have won 59 conference titles and are one of nine ACC schools to win 11 or more national championships. Additionally, with 1.7 million people within 30 miles of campus, Wake Forest anchors the Winston-Salem and Triad market, which ranks as ESPN’s seventh-best nationally from a viewership perspective.
Wake Forest’s comprehensive excellence includes its highly regarded school of medicine, business school, law school, innovative department of engineering and its nationally renowned Program for Leadership and Character, which prepares students to live with purpose, integrity and courage. Additionally, Wake Forest has campuses across Winston-Salem, Charlotte and Washington, D.C. – providing many academic offerings to students from across the nation and around the world.
Learn more about Wake Forest University at www.wfu.edu and at GoDeacs.com.
HOUGHTON, Mich. – Michigan Tech volleyball has added Keeley Nellis to its roster for the upcoming 2026 season. Nellis is transferring to Tech from NCAA Division I Lamar University, where she was a member of the volleyball team for the past two seasons. The native of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, will have two years of eligibility remaining as a defensive specialist.
“We are very excited to add Keeley to our roster,” Tech volleyball coach Cindy Pindral said. “She adds a ton of experience playing at the D1 level and is a perfect fit for Michigan Tech, as she is pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering. She has excellent touch and is very competitive. Keeley adds a lot of depth to our defensive specialist group.”
Nellis appeared in 57 matches and 192 sets over the past two seasons for the Cardinals and totaled 579 digs, averaging 3.02 per set. As a freshman in 2024, she led the team with 421 digs and ranked second with 33 aces. She ranked fourth in the Southland Conference in digs (4.30/set) and seventh in aces (0.34/set) and was ranked seventh nationally amongst freshmen in digs. Nellis recorded 20 double-digit dig matches, including a career-high 24 against Nicholls (Nov. 7, 2024). She had nine aces against Nicholls on Sept. 6, 2024. Nellis had 158 digs in 2025, appearing in 28 matches and 93 sets. She was named to the Bluff City Showdown All-Tournament Team in 2024.
Nellis played high school at Oceanside Collegiate Academy, helping guide her team to back-to-back state titles (2021 and 2022) as one of the top defensive players in the Palmetto State. She received All-Palmetto Region honors in 2022 and followed that up with all-region recognition again in 2023. An Academic Honorable Mention All-America, Nellis was a defensive captain as a senior. She competed for Carolina Rogue Volleyball Club.
DEKALB, Ill. – Six NIU Athletics teams will be in action this week, including home dates for men’s basketball, wrestling and women’s tennis, who will host both Missouri and Wisconsin this weekend at the Nelson Tennis Center at Chick Evans Field House. Women’s basketball, gymnastics and track and field will also be in action on the road this week.
Men’s Basketball
Tuesday, Jan. 13: at Eastern Michigan, 5:30 p.m. – ESPN+ | Live Stats | Live Audio
Saturday, Jan. 17: vs. UMass, 2 p.m. – ESPN+ | Live Audio | Live Stats | Buy Tickets
Following a weekend off, the NIU men’s basketball team returns to action with a pair of games this week. The Huskies travel to Eastern Michigan on Tuesday before hosting UMass on Saturday. Dylan Ducommon has scored in double figures in seven-straight games and is averaging 15.3 points per game during that stretch. In league play, Ducommun is averaging a team-high 16.8 points per game, tied for 10th-best in the Mid-American Conference.
Eastern Michigan brings an 8-9 overall record into Tuesday’s contest, including a 2-3 mark in league play after falling to Western Michigan, 79-62, in Kalamazoo (Jan. 10) last time out. UMass comes into the week with a 10-7 record, 1-4 in league play.
Women’s Basketball
Wednesday, Jan. 14: at Toledo, 6 p.m. – ESPN+ | Live Stats | Live Audio
Saturday, Jan. 17: at Ohio, 12 p.m. – ESPN+ | Live Stats | Live Audio
The NIU women’s basketball team plays a pair of road games this week. The Huskies head to Toledo on Wednesday to face the Rockets at 6 p.m. The two teams split last season’s two games with the road team winning each. NIU halted Toledo’s 20-game home court winning streak on Jan. 1, 2025 with a 59-58 win at Savage Arena. On Saturday NIU takes on Ohio the Convocation Center in Athens, Ohio at 12 p.m. The Huskies are coming off a 65-48 loss to Bowling Green on Saturday. Senior forward Teresa Mbemba led the Huskies with 15 points off the bench. Mbemba is averaging 10.5 points per game in conference play and shooting 63.0 percent from the field.
Gymnastics
Saturday, Jan. 17: at Eastern Michigan, 3 p.m.
NIU gymnastics heads to Ypsilanti, Mich. this weekend for a tri-meet against Eastern Michigan and SUNY Brockport in the Golden Girls Classic on Saturday.
The Huskies fell at Kent State in their season opener on Sunday, 195.350-191.675. Freshman Avery Riiff tied for first place on beam with a 9.800 in her first-ever collegiate competition. Sophomore Drake White competed as an all-arounder, scoring a career-best 38.000.
Eastern Michigan (1-0) is coming off a 192.925-191.900 over Bowling Green while Brockport (1-2) enters the tri-meet following a 191.200-187.600 win over Ithaca College.
Wrestling
Friday, Jan. 16: vs. Central Michigan, 7 p.m. – ESPN+ | Live Scoring
Returning to DeKalb, the Northern Illinois University wrestling program is set to host the Central Michigan University Chippewas in a MAC dual on Friday, January 16. Action will take place at 7 p.m. inside Victor E. Court. The Huskies and Chippewas will have their second meeting in a week as they met at the 2026 NWCA National Duals in Cedar Falls, Iowa on January 9. The Huskies pulled out a 20-14 win in that dual as they would take fourth at the competition.
At the NWCA National Duals, the Huskies posted wins over Harvard (22-20), Central Michigan, and Campbell (53-0). The Huskies competed against then-No. 8 South Dakota State (26-10) and Drexel (21-12) over the two-day competition. Markel Baker went 5-0 on the weekend, including a win over No. 33 Andrew Austin of Central Michigan. Devon Dawson (Brooklyn Park, Minn./Goddard) went 4-0 on the weekend and had a pair of ranked wins.
Women’s Tennis
Friday, Jan. 16: vs. Wisconsin, 2 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 17: vs. Missouri, 9 a.m.
Saturday, Jan. 17: vs. Chicago State, 6 p.m.
The dual season is underway this weekend for NIU women’s tennis as the Huskies host Wisconsin, Missouri and Chicago State at the Nelson Tennis Center at Chick Evans Field House. NIU takes on the Badgers on Friday at 2 p.m. and will have a doubleheader on Saturday, beginning with Missouri at 9 a.m. and Chicago State at 6 p.m.
NIU competed in the Northwestern Invitational in Evanston, Ill. this past weekend against both DePaul and Northwestern. The Huskies recorded seven doubles victories and two singles wins over the three-day invite.
Wisconsin finished the 2025 regular season ranked No. 23 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament while Missouri was also nationally ranked last season.
Track and Field
Friday, Jan. 16: at Bill Bergan Open (Ames, Iowa)
The NIU track and field team returns to action for the first time in 2026 this Friday, Jan. 16, when the Huskies compete at Iowa State’s Bill Bergan Open. Field events are scheduled to begin at 11:20 a.m. while events on track are scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. Arianna Calloway is the defending champion in the high jump at the Bill Bergan Open.
NIU competed once in December before breaking for the Holidays as the Huskies attended Notre Dame’s Blue & Gold Invitational. Stella Oyebode won the 60 meters, Emma Curry won the 800 meters and Precious Umukoro won the triple jump at Notre Dame.
Bauer becomes only the third player in program history to earn CSC Academic All-American, joining Natalie Furry (2002) and Paige Briggs (2023).
To be selected, athletes must maintain a minimum 3.50 GPA and meet athletic eligibility requirements.
The 2025 Alyssa Cavanaugh CUSA Player of the Year was one of the top setters in the country, finishing the regular season ranked 22nd nationally and first in the conference in assists per set at 10.42. Her 1,073 total assists during that time ranked 48th nationally and second in CUSA. Bauer also helped the Hilltoppers to the third-best hitting percentage in the country (.312), fifth-best assists per set (13.63), and sixth-best kills per set rate (14.57) in the country.
Playing in 106 of the 108 total sets this season, Bauer finished her senior year with a total of 88 kills, 1,109 assists, 25 service aces, 225 digs, and 32 blocks. The CUSA First Team All-Conference selection also posted a total of five double doubles on the season, totaling 17 in her career. Bauer was also named CUSA tournament MVP.
In the classroom, Bauer carried a 3.88 GPA as a Business Management major.
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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