2026 Season Preview: Volleyball

8/26/2026 8:42:00 AM

Coming off a 2025 season that saw the Big Red volleyball team reach the NCAC Tournament Semifinals, the 2026 chapter of Denison looks to take a stronger leap this fall.

2025 Recap

Denison got off to a hot start, winning its first four matches of the season, including a major upset over No. 3 Hope College. The rest of the non-conference slate was back-and-forth, picking up wins down the stretch before heading into NCAC play. The Big Red would go 4-3 in conference play, earning the No. 4 seed in the conference tournament, where they hosted DePauw in a quarterfinal matchup.

DePauw won the first and third, and Denison won the second and fourth. Riding the momentum of a fourth-set win, the Big Red grinded a 15-13 victory in set five, coming out on top 3-2 to advance to the semifinals. There, Denison would travel to eventual conference tournament champion Wittenberg, where they fell 3-0, bringing their overall record to 14-16.

NCAC Preseason Poll

Denison begins the season slated third in the NCAC preseason poll with 43 points, behind Wittenberg (64) and John Carroll (55). Rounding out the top five are Ohio Wesleyan (41) and DePauw (37).

2026 North Coast Athletic Conference Volleyball Coaches' Poll
Place	Institution (1st Place Votes)	Total Points
1	Wittenberg (8)	64
2	John Carroll	55
3	Denison	43
4	Ohio Wesleyan	41
5	DePauw	37
6	Oberlin	17
7	Wooster	16
8	Kenyon	15

Key Returners

Maeve Perry returns as the only All-NCAC selection from last season, earning second-team honors. The senior recorded 188 kills along with 30 blocks in 79 sets played.

Two-time All-NCAC honoree Claire Hamilton returns for her senior season as one of the key outside hitters on the Big Red. Hamilton led the group in kills (291), points (294), and kills per set (2.85).

Senior Ryan Kotalik returns on the defensive end as the top returning server, bringing back a 2025-best 40 service aces. Kotalik also ranked second on the team last season in digs with 318 and a 94.1% reception percentage.

Gone to graduation is Alice Kempf, leaving rising sophomore Amelia Kurtz as the top returning setter. Kurtz had 209 assists last year, averaging 5.23 per set in her 11 matches played. Also in the mix will be rising senior Katelyn Chiu, who played in 14 matches and tallied 71 assists.

Ayla Dunbar (219 kills) and Emily Monachino (168 kills) return key production on the offensive end, both ranking in the top five on the team in kills, points, and kills per set. Kate Sicklick, Devon Moore, and Carolina Parkhurst all return, as each player had over 100 kills last season.

A Look at the Schedule

Home Opener: Sept. 1 vs. Marietta at 7 pm
NCAC Opener: Sept. 26 at Wittenberg at 1 pm
Senior Day: Oct. 10 vs. John Carroll at 11 am
Season Finale: Nov. 6 at Baldwin Wallace at 7 pm

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