Volleyball welcomes seven newcomers to the court ahead of 25-26 season
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. - Carson-Newman head volleyball coach Cat Collins has announced the addition of seven newcomers to the team for the 2025-2026 season.
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. - Carson-Newman head volleyball coach Cat Collins has announced the addition of seven newcomers to the team for the 2025-2026 season.
The group includes two transfer students and five first-year players who will take the court with the Eagles in the coming months.
Jordan "Avery" Sziksai joins the team as a transfer student from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Sziksai appeared in 14 matches in the 2024-2025 season as a redshirt junior where she registered 23 digs in as many sets. The graduate student was named to the Chancellor's list four times and earned a nod on the Student Athlete SoCon Academic Honor Roll all four years at UNCG. Head coach Cat Collins said: "We are excited to add Avery to our defense and passing group. She is a great at leading by example and adds a lot to our program culture. She has been training with us since the spring and has done a great job adapting to our training and systems. We are excited to see all the positive ways she will influence our season."
Freshman Emmaline Morris will add height to the Eagles front row, joining the middle blockers and outside hitting groups. Out of Timnath, Colorado, Morris was a member of the 1,000 kill club at Loveland Herald. She also earned two 2nd team All-State nods and was a three-time Academic All-State award winner. Collins said, "Emmaline is a strong attacker who will also be joining our middle/right side training group. She has a heavy arm and a great work ethic. She will add a lot of diversity and strength to our attackers and know she will work hard to make us better."
Another addition to the middles is freshman Abbey Boothe. The Anderson, South Carolina native registered 300 kills and 86 blocks at T.L. Hanna High School where Boothe was the 2024 Varsity Offensive MVP and a selection to the 2024 5A All-Region 1 team. Collins said, "Abbey is one of our four freshman. Abbey comes to us with a range of attacking skills and will be joining our middle group and some right side in training. We are excited to have her here and looking forward to seeing how she will grow and all she will do for our program."
First year blocker Violet Light will complete the middles for Carson-Newman. Light joins the Eagles from the sunshine state and was a graduate of Riverview high school where she led the team in blocks at the end of the season and was named most improved in 2024. Collins said, "Violet will round out our middle group. Her block size and abilities with her attacking is going to push our program to be better each day. She has a good work ethic and we are excited to see how she will use her skills to help our program grow, but also excited to see all that she will do with our program."
In the back row, first year Megan Rine will add to the Eagles defense as the defensive specialist and libero position. A decorated graduate of Lakeland Senior High School in Bartow, Florida, Rine registered 586 career digs with a 7.0 dig/set average over her career. The league recognized her statistical dominance as well, earning 1st team All-County, player of the year, and named her one of the top ten players in Polk County. As a captain of her team, she also received female athlete of the year in 2025 and was in the top 2% of her graduating class academically. Collins said, "We are excited to welcome Megan as a part of our DS/L. Megan has a great work ethic and is eager to learn more and more about volleyball. Her determination and work ethic fit right in with our culture and are a key element to what makes her special."
A Dandridge local, Madison Wallman adds to the defensive specialist and libero group. Wallman spent the past two years at Dodge City Community College where she was on the President's Honor Roll. Collins said, "Madison comes to us with 6 rotation OH experience and will serve in both areas as an OH and a DS/L. We are looking forward to see the impact she will have on our team and position groups. She comes to us with a great work ethic and is excellent at focusing on the controllables and leads herself very well, she has great ball control and will add a lot of positive qualities to our team and team culture."
Finally, Raychel Ehlers hails from Dagsboro, Delaware and is a graduate transfer from Costal Carolina. As a member of the beach team at Costal she amassed 98 career wins and is the Chanticleer's program record holder for individual career victories. In 2025 she was a member of the All-Sun Belt second team and the Sun Belt Beach Volleyball Championship All-Tournament Team. She was also an AVCA Top Flight Award Winner in both 2023 and 2024, second team All-Sun Belt Conference in 2023 and a member of the 2022 C-USA Beach Volleyball All-Freshman team. A part of a family of Eagles, Ehlers will join her sister Camryn on the squad and follow in the footsteps of her mother Tanya who played both soccer and volleyball for Carson-Newman. Collins said of Ehlers, "Raychel is such an exciting addition to our program. She comes to us with a lot of maturity and great volleyball skills. We are so grateful she is a part of our program and know she will make an impact for us on and off the court."
Carson-Newman hopes to build upon a fifth place finish in the SAC standings last year where Eagles were 16-11 overall and 12-6 in conference play. Game one of the 2025-2026 season ensues on September 5th against Chowan when C-N travels to the Glenville State Tournament.
