JOPLIN, Mo. —  Missouri S&T Women's Volleyball opens its 2026 campaign on the road today with a pair of matches at the Missouri Southern State University Tournament in Joplin. The Miners will face Northeastern State at 9 a.m. before taking on host Missouri Southern State at 3 p.m. S&T will return to the court Saturday at 9 a.m. against Southeastern Oklahoma State before wrapping up the tournament at 1 p.m. against Northwestern Oklahoma State.

About the Miners

Missouri S&T Volleyball enters an exciting new era with Head Coach Cooper Martin beginning her first season at the helm of the program. The Miners closed out last season on a strong note, winning eight of their final 11 matches.

S&T returns 10 members of last season's squad, including six sophomores who showed significant growth throughout their freshman campaigns. Kate Zipprich (Hardin, IL/Calhoun) is among that group after a standout freshman season in which she finished second in the Great Lakes Valley Conference for blocking with 111 blocks. Elly Decker (Manhattan, IL/Lincoln-Way West) also returns after leading the Miners in both kills and service aces last season, with her 0.45 aces per set ranking third in the GLVC.

About the RiverHawks

The 2026 season marks the return of women's volleyball at Northeastern State, which is reviving the program for the first time in nearly 50 years. Head Coach Maria Jacobus is leading the program's return after gaining experience at both the NCAA Division I and NJCAA levels.

Jacobus has assembled a diverse roster featuring a mix of recruits and transfers, including Ceylin Sar and Avery Dempsey, who join the RiverHawks after previous stops at Illinois Springfield and Newman, respectively.

About the Lions

Missouri Southern State went 10-18 last season, including a 4-12 mark in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA). The Lions opened the year by winning six of their first seven matches, including a five-set thriller against Missouri S&T, before dropping eight of their final 10 contests. Missouri Southern opened the 2026 season Thursday night with a 3-1 loss to Southeastern Oklahoma State.

Joshua Moore returns as head coach after serving as the Lions' interim head coach during the 2025 season. Following the departure of their top two hitters, Alana Moesch and Fernanda Merancio, Moore will look to Addysen Alvis to help fill the void. Alvis enjoyed a strong sophomore season, recording 251 kills.

About the Savage Storm

Southeastern Oklahoma State opened its season with a 3-1 victory over Missouri Southern State Thursday night. The Savage Storm are coming off a 10-18 campaign but finished last season strong, winning three of their final four matches.

Nicole Solum-Mitchell returns for her eighth season as head coach and will look to guide the Savage Storm to their fifth Great American Conference Tournament appearance of her tenure.

Southeastern returns two key contributors from last season in Gabby Jones and Jasmin Dion. Both sophomores ranked among the conference's top five in their respective statistical categories in 2025, with Jones averaging 3.07 kills per set to rank fifth and Dion averaging 7.35 assists per set to rank fourth. Merrick Hammel also returns after making a significant impact as a freshman, ranking ninth in the conference with 4.01 digs per set.

About the Rangers

Northwestern Oklahoma State dropped 10 of its first 11 matches last season en route to a 6-22 finish. Head Coach Jon Bingesser enters his fifth season with the Rangers and will look to guide the program to its first winning season since 2022.

The Rangers lost several of their top performers from last season, including Ece Ozdemir, Naya Danenberg, and Mikayla White. Ivanny Blackwood is the team's top returning offensive threat after averaging 2.50 kills per set last season.

Defensively, Northwestern Oklahoma State welcomes back libero Jadyn Padilla, who led the Rangers with 338 digs last season.

What's Next
The Miners will head to Arkadelphia next week for the Reddie-Tiger Invitational on September 4^th and 5^th.


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