Eagles Women's Volleyball Preview

Women's Volleyball enters the 2026 season as the three-time defending NACC Champions. After winning their first NCAA Tournament set in program history, the program has their sights set on another successful season.

“I love the beginning of every season,” said head coach Paul Schlomer. “It always starts out with excitement and promise of adventure and discovery with a new team. Even though we have had some sustained success of the past years winning the last three NACC Championships, we are hungry to see what big things this team can achieve. We have lofty goals in sight, and we are working really hard so far to go get them.”

2026 Women's Volleyball Schedule

A challenging slate of games awaits the Eagles in 2026. After opening their season in Chicago with the Chicago Rosalie Resch Invitational on Saturday, September 5, they well take on the Sandy Schumacher Memorial Tournament starting on Friday, September 11 with UW-Eau Claire, ranked seventh in the preseason AVCA Division III poll. Edgewood University will open the Edgedome on Tuesday, September 15 with fireworks as they host No. 1 and defending national champion UW-Oshkosh and receiving votes Carthage for a tri-match.

“We have a very challenging schedule this season. The NACC continues to improve, and every conference match is a battle. I love to schedule tough non-conference opponents as well.  Thirteen of our non-conference matches are against teams finishing in the top 150 NPI (of all 420 D3 teams) highlighted by our home opener triangular versus Carthage (NPI 66) and defending National Champions, UW-Oshkosh on Sept. 15th. The Edgedome is such a tough place to play for opponents, and we want the fans to get out and get the Dome rocking!”

The Eagles will open their NACC title defense at home Thursday, September 24 as they battle with the Lakeland Muskies. After a nonconference detour that features No. 24 Dubuque on Tuesday, September 29, Edgewood University will travel to Concordia Wisconsin on Saturday, October 3 for a rematch of an instant-classic NACC Tournament Semifinal. Edgewood University hosts another tri-match on Saturday, October 24 as they play host to Benedictine and UW-River Falls before heading to Aurora, Ill. on Saturday, October 31 to clash with Aurora in a rematch of the NACC Tournament Final.

The Eagles will wrap up their regular season slate at home with Senior Night against Wisconsin Lutheran on Thursday, November 5 before taking on Illinois Tech Saturday, November 7. The NACC Tournament kicks off on Tuesday, November 10.

2026 Roster

Head Coach Paul Schlomer

The Eagles were voted atop the NACC Women's Volleyball Preseason Poll. They received 21 of a possible 26 first place votes and 329 points overall. Aurora finished second with 305 points and four first-place votes. St. Norbert and Lakeland rounded out the top four, the Green Knights placing third with 273 points and a first place nod while the Muskies claimed 262 points.

By the Numbers

3 – The Eagles return three All-NACC players from last year's roster. Payton Millin claimed First Team honors, while Abbey Eivins and Nida Zukauskaite were named Second Team.

2.57 - Last year's squad finished with 2.57 blocks per set, good for fourth in Division III

1.23 - Millin paced the NACC and was 14th in the country with 1.23 blocks per set. Marina Hosticka finished with 1.00 blocks per set, 56th in the nation.

3rd - A deep roster of new and returning talent looks to step up to replace the departed Katie Borchert, who finished her career with the program's third All-American nod with an Honorable Mention accolade.

6 – The Eagles add six newcomers as they look to build on their third-straight NACC crown.

"We have returners that are going to surprise people with the improvement in their games. We have a very talented group of freshmen that are pushing to make an immediate impact as well.  Having too many great players is a nice problem to have. But this team has such a close, supportive team culture, that we can weather any challenge that lies ahead."