Women's Volleyball

2026 HCAC Volleyball Notebook, Week 1

CARMEL, Ind. – The Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) volleyball teams competed in week one of the 2026 season.

Around the League:
HCAC Volleyball Schedule | HCAC Volleyball Standings

Athletes of the Week: 
Offensive Player of the Week:
Jayda Lanham (Venice, Fla.) Anderson University | Outside Hitter/Right Side | Junior - Jayda Lanham smashed 22 kills against Loras, breaking the four-set match school record in the 25-point era. Lanham also produced 22 digs and a .237 hitting percentage in Saturday's win against Loras. She was named to the Lady Blue Challenge All-Tournament Team. Anderson went 3-1 on the week. Lanham closed the week with 3.31 kills per set, 0.56 service aces per set, 3.94 digs per set and a .218 hitting percentage.

Defensive Player of the Week:
Emma Organ (Lambertville, Mich.) Bluffton University | Libero | Senior - Emma Organ helped the Beavers to a 4-1 week, picking up a team-best 84 digs while firing 8 service aces. She also chipped in with 18 assists.

Notable Performances:
Offense:
  • Sydney Makle-Bradle (Louisville, Ky.) Berea College | Middle Blocker | Freshman - Sydney Makle-Bradley made an immediate splash in her collegiate debut, spearheading the Bluffton offense over the weekend to claim a spot on the Mountaineer Classic All-Tournament Team. The Louisville native erupted in her very first collegiate match against Brevard College, smashing a team-high 12 kills. Makle-Bradley maintained her status as a primary scoring threat through the remaining matches, combining for 22 total tournament kills. The first-year also showcased strong two-way capabilities by adjusting smoothly to the collegiate game at the net, registering 7.0 blocks against Maryville College.
  • Chloe Ruhlig (Carleton, Mich.) Bluffton University | Outside Hitter | Freshman - Chloe Ruhlig smashed 38 kills and stuffed the opponents with 12 blocks while hitting at a .208 clip for the week. She chipped in with five aces and 23 digs while leading the Beavers with 49 total points. The freshman was recognized to the Vicki Staton All-Tournament Team after tallying 32 total kills with seven blocks over the weekend.
  • Abbey McCoy (Indianapolis, Ind.) Hanover College | Outside Hitter | Senior - Abbey McCoy led Hanover to a 3-1 weekend. The senior recorded 52 total kills, averaging 3.25 kills per set for a .234 attacking percentage. She added 39 digs and had five total blocks, as well as nine service aces.
  • Alicia Simmons (Manhattan, Kan.) Manchester University | Outside HItter | Freshman - Alicia Simmons recorded 15 kills and 15.0 points in a 3-2 away win against Saint Mary's College before putting down 14 kills and 15.0 points in a 3-2 away victory against The University of Olivet. She totaled 29 kills and 30 points in week's matches.
  • Sydney Doty (Mariemont, Ohio) Mount St. Joseph University | Right Side | Junior - Sydney Doty helped Mount St. Joseph to an undefeated 4-0 week that included a 3-0 weekend at Illinois College where she was named All-Tournament. For the week, she had 23 kills on 58 attempts, against just two errors, hitting .362 for the week. She added eight aces from the service line as well.
  • Emma Blanton (Arcadia, Ind.) Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | Outside HItter | Sophomore - Emma Blanton was a standout for Rose-Hulman as it started its season with a record of 1-3 against some fierce competition. Blanton totaled 45 kills, averaging 3.00 kills per set. She also recorded two double-doubles in the matches against Spalding and Concordia Wisconsin, reaching double figures in both kills and digs.
  • Addie Atcher (Elizabethtown, Ky.) Transylvania University | Outside Hitter | Senior - Transylvania opened the season 2-2 at the Sewanee Invitational with wins over Sewanee and North Point. Addie Atcher had a strong opening week performance with 54 kills on the weekend, averaging 3.86 kills per set and a .210 hitting percentage. Her standout performance was a 19 kill, .341 hitting percentage in the win against host Sewanee.
Defense:
  • Amy Nye (Indianapolis, Ind.) Anderson University | Defensive Specialist/Right Side | Sophomore - Amy Nye scattered 4.06 digs per set as Anderson went 3-1 on the week. Nye was named to the Lady Blue Challenge All-Tournament Team.
  • Nashaliz Garcia (Naguabo, Puerto Rico.) Berea College | Middle Blocker | Defensive Specialist/Right Side | Sophomore - Nashaliz Garcia anchored the front-line defense for the Mountaineers over their opening three-match stretch, earning a well-deserved selection to the Mountaineer Classic All-Tournament Team. Across the weekend, Garcia registered an outstanding 13.0 total blocks, protecting the net forcefully by putting up five blocks against Brevard College, following it up with her weekend-high six blocks against Maryville College, and adding two blocks against Spalding University. In addition to her massive presence at the net, Garcia proved highly efficient on the attack, providing excellent balance with a combined 20 kills and 3 service aces to carry Berea through the opening weekend.
  • Lauren Kinsey (Goshen, Ind.) Franklin College | Middle Blocker | Sophomore - Lauren Kinsey picked up where she left off after an All-HCAC freshman season, leading Franklin in both blocks (8) and kills (25) over a four-match week. The sophomore had an astounding .595 hitting percentage, not committing a single error on 42 swings. She had three blocks in matches against IU Columbus (all solos) and Pitt-Greensburg, and finished out her week with nine kills on 12 attempts in a sweep of Wilmington.
  • Madison Schicker (Fishers, Ind.) Hanover College | Libero | Junior - Madison Schicker helped lead Hanover to a 3-1 week. The junior tallied 68 total digs, averaging 4.25 digs per set. She also had nine assists with four service aces.
  • Tiffany Watterson (Elkhart, Ind.) Manchester University | Libero | Senior - Tiffany Watterson achieved a total of 12 set assists across two games during the week. She also had three aces, contributing to Manchester's victories.Watterson notched an impressive 42 digs over the two matches, showcasing her defensive skills. She accumulated three total points in the matches against Saint Mary's and The University of Olivet.
  • Lyndsey Stephenson (Blue Ash, Ohio) Mount St. Joseph University | Libero | Junior - Lyndsey Stephenson helped the team open the season 4-0 with a 3-0 weekend at the Illinois College tournament. Stephenson was named to that tournament's All-Tournament team. For the week, she registered 58 digs for 3.86 digs per set and no receiving errors.
  • Kennedy Otwell (Gonzales, La.) Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | Defensive Specialist | Freshman - Kennedy Otwell had a stellar first week of her college career with Rose-Hulman. She led the team in digs in three of the four games to start the year. Otwell totaled 56 digs, averaging 3.73 digs per set.
  • Julia Brown (Bardstown, Ky.) Transylvania University | Libero | Junior - In an opening weekend at the Sewanee Invitational in which the Pioneers went 2-2, Julia Brown recorded 54 digs, averaging 3.86 digs per set, to lead Transylvania. She also recorded eight service aces. Her standout performance against Sewanee saw her post a team best 18 digs in the win.
2026 Athlete of the Week Reports:
Week 1 (Week ending Sept. 6)