5 Things to Know: 2026 Women's Volleyball Season Preview
August 07, 2026 | Women's Volleyball
Despite being hit with the injury bug in 2025, UC Irvine women's volleyball finished the season strong to clinch a spot in the six-team Big West Championship for the third year in a row. In 2026, the Anteaters will be looking to build on that postseason experience as they return key pieces from last year, while bringing in a talented incoming class that was ranked 36th in the nation by Prep Dig.
"I think a big theme is going to be coming back and recovering from last year's injuries," 12th-year head coach Ashlie Hain said. "We have a lot of really good pieces; we just need to be healthy. There is a lot of potential for us to do well if we are able to get everyone back."
Fans can get a first-look at the 'Eaters next Saturday, Aug. 15, when they host USC in a 12 p.m. exhibition match at the Bren Events Center. Admission is complimentary.
As the season approaches, below are five things to know about the 2026 squad.
DOUBLE TROUBLE
UC Irvine will be looking to run a 6-2 system with Nicole Feliciano and Jessica Bates on the right side. Feliciano, a three-year starter, was the 2023 Big West Freshman of the Year and enters her senior campaign ranked fifth in school history with 2,619 career assists. Bates has dealt with injuries that have limited her playing time in her first two years at UCI. She showed glimpses of her potential with two triple-doubles in seven matches played in 2025. Bates and Feliciano are both team captains. Sophomore Angelina Dellutri adds depth at the setter position.
BACK ROW RELOAD
UCI will have a new look in the back row with the graduation of four-year starter and All-Big West selection Campbell Jensen. The Anteaters have two liberos ready to step into the role with junior transfer Whitney Wallace and freshman Tatawan Vongfak. Wallace spent the last two seasons at Oklahoma and was a mid-year transfer, coming to UC Irvine in the spring. Vongfak was a three-time all-league selection at Marlborough High School, and played for the same club team as Jensen at San Gabriel Elite.
DEPTH ON THE LEFT
UC Irvine will have a lot of options on the left side. Fifth-year Kendra MacDonald, who is a team captain, is expected to return after a season-ending injury just 10 matches into the 2025 campaign. The 6-foot-2 outside hitter was averaging 2.18 kills and 1.56 digs per set prior to being sidelined. She will miss the first part of the season and is hoping to be back on the court by conference. Junior Madison Triplett stepped up in MacDonald's absence last year, registering 1.94 kills and 2.47 digs per set. The 'Eaters also return redshirt freshman Brianna Brewer, sophomore Izzy Romero, and juniors Lois Hansen and Ava Gronemeyer, while bringing in true freshmen Memphis Burnett and Kaia Ciszewski.
MIDDLE GROUND
The Anteaters graduated their starting middles, but bring back two returners and add two highly-touted freshmen. Sophomore Abby Pekrul returns after an injury cut her 2025 season short, while Addie Kannegeisser enters the mix as a redshirt freshman. The 'Eaters also welcome true freshmen Taylor Boice and Vani Tatoulian. Boice was a first-team all-league and all-area selection at Redondo Union High School. She won a couple national titles with her club team, SC Rockstar. Tatoulian, who stands at 6-foot-3, was the 2025 CIF-Southern Section Division 4 Player of the Year and league MVP at La Cañada High School.
BATTLE TESTED
UC Irvine will host two exhibition matches, entertaining USC on Aug. 15 and Concordia on Aug. 22. The Anteaters then start the regular season on the road with a tough test at Big Ten member Washington (Aug. 28). While in Seattle, they will also square off against IU Indy and San Diego State, which is part of the new Pac-12. The 'Eaters then head to Fresno State for the Bulldog Invitational, Sept. 3-5, prior to hosting LMU (Sept. 11), Utah Tech (Sept. 12), and San Jose State (Sept. 13) as part of the UCI Invitational. The next weekend, UC Irvine makes the trek to Las Vegas for its final non-conference matches against Southeastern Louisiana University and UNLV. The Anteaters' Big West slate begins at home against Black & Blue Rival Long Beach State on Sept. 25, and in-county foe Cal State Fullerton on Sept. 26. The Big West Championship is scheduled for Nov. 25-28 in San Luis Obispo.
"I think our preseason schedule will toughen us up a little bit heading into conference," Hain said. "It's going to be a really good test. We're going to have a new lineup because we graduated a lot of people, so that first month will be good to see where we're at before we start conference."
"I think a big theme is going to be coming back and recovering from last year's injuries," 12th-year head coach Ashlie Hain said. "We have a lot of really good pieces; we just need to be healthy. There is a lot of potential for us to do well if we are able to get everyone back."
Fans can get a first-look at the 'Eaters next Saturday, Aug. 15, when they host USC in a 12 p.m. exhibition match at the Bren Events Center. Admission is complimentary.
As the season approaches, below are five things to know about the 2026 squad.
DOUBLE TROUBLE
UC Irvine will be looking to run a 6-2 system with Nicole Feliciano and Jessica Bates on the right side. Feliciano, a three-year starter, was the 2023 Big West Freshman of the Year and enters her senior campaign ranked fifth in school history with 2,619 career assists. Bates has dealt with injuries that have limited her playing time in her first two years at UCI. She showed glimpses of her potential with two triple-doubles in seven matches played in 2025. Bates and Feliciano are both team captains. Sophomore Angelina Dellutri adds depth at the setter position.
BACK ROW RELOAD
UCI will have a new look in the back row with the graduation of four-year starter and All-Big West selection Campbell Jensen. The Anteaters have two liberos ready to step into the role with junior transfer Whitney Wallace and freshman Tatawan Vongfak. Wallace spent the last two seasons at Oklahoma and was a mid-year transfer, coming to UC Irvine in the spring. Vongfak was a three-time all-league selection at Marlborough High School, and played for the same club team as Jensen at San Gabriel Elite.
DEPTH ON THE LEFT
UC Irvine will have a lot of options on the left side. Fifth-year Kendra MacDonald, who is a team captain, is expected to return after a season-ending injury just 10 matches into the 2025 campaign. The 6-foot-2 outside hitter was averaging 2.18 kills and 1.56 digs per set prior to being sidelined. She will miss the first part of the season and is hoping to be back on the court by conference. Junior Madison Triplett stepped up in MacDonald's absence last year, registering 1.94 kills and 2.47 digs per set. The 'Eaters also return redshirt freshman Brianna Brewer, sophomore Izzy Romero, and juniors Lois Hansen and Ava Gronemeyer, while bringing in true freshmen Memphis Burnett and Kaia Ciszewski.
MIDDLE GROUND
The Anteaters graduated their starting middles, but bring back two returners and add two highly-touted freshmen. Sophomore Abby Pekrul returns after an injury cut her 2025 season short, while Addie Kannegeisser enters the mix as a redshirt freshman. The 'Eaters also welcome true freshmen Taylor Boice and Vani Tatoulian. Boice was a first-team all-league and all-area selection at Redondo Union High School. She won a couple national titles with her club team, SC Rockstar. Tatoulian, who stands at 6-foot-3, was the 2025 CIF-Southern Section Division 4 Player of the Year and league MVP at La Cañada High School.
BATTLE TESTED
UC Irvine will host two exhibition matches, entertaining USC on Aug. 15 and Concordia on Aug. 22. The Anteaters then start the regular season on the road with a tough test at Big Ten member Washington (Aug. 28). While in Seattle, they will also square off against IU Indy and San Diego State, which is part of the new Pac-12. The 'Eaters then head to Fresno State for the Bulldog Invitational, Sept. 3-5, prior to hosting LMU (Sept. 11), Utah Tech (Sept. 12), and San Jose State (Sept. 13) as part of the UCI Invitational. The next weekend, UC Irvine makes the trek to Las Vegas for its final non-conference matches against Southeastern Louisiana University and UNLV. The Anteaters' Big West slate begins at home against Black & Blue Rival Long Beach State on Sept. 25, and in-county foe Cal State Fullerton on Sept. 26. The Big West Championship is scheduled for Nov. 25-28 in San Luis Obispo.
"I think our preseason schedule will toughen us up a little bit heading into conference," Hain said. "It's going to be a really good test. We're going to have a new lineup because we graduated a lot of people, so that first month will be good to see where we're at before we start conference."
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