CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. — Campbellsville University women's volleyball enters the 2026 season with proven production returning, a strengthened coaching staff and an early schedule designed to test the Tigers away from Gosser Gymnasium.
 
Campbellsville finished the 2025 season 23-14 overall and 7-4 in conference play, including an 11-4 mark at home. The Tigers totaled 1,765 kills, 1,637 assists, 287 service aces, 2,056 digs and 266 total blocks while holding opponents to a .163 hitting percentage.
 
Head coach Peyton Johnston said the Tigers' opening stretch will be important as Campbellsville works toward conference play.
 
"I'm ready to see the team compete in tough settings away from our home court to begin the season, honing our abilities and chemistry before our first home matches and conference play," Johnston said.
 
Campbellsville returns several key pieces from last season, including all-conference performers Brooke Hager, Elif Akcivi and Kati Vest. Hager, a second-team all-conference selection, is expected to return to a larger role after playing through an injury-affected season.
 
"I'm excited for Brooke Hager's return to the top of the lineup following a season enduring injuries," Johnston said.
 
Hager appeared in 70 sets last season and posted 192 kills, a .426 hitting percentage and 51 total blocks. Akcivi, also a second-team all-conference honoree, finished with 308 kills, 212 digs and 40 total blocks. Vest earned first-team all-conference honors as a freshman after recording 1,173 assists, 264 digs, 38 aces and 30 total blocks.
 
The Tigers also add defensive depth with transfer Celestina Retumban, who arrives after totaling 1,032 digs across 230 sets in two seasons, averaging 4.49 digs per set.
 
Campbellsville's staff will feature two additions in 2026. Ava Walters joins the program as a graduate assistant after a four-year playing career at Earlham College, where she collected 1,887 assists in 330 sets.
 
Sarah Woolfolk brings unique expertise to the Tigers as an assistant coach, with her background as a collegiate student-athlete, coach and Cognitive Performance Specialist. Woolfolk has worked across club, high school and collegiate volleyball, with experience in training, match preparation, recruiting support and team culture development. She holds master's degrees in kinesiology with a concentration in sport psychology and motor behavior from the University of Tennessee and in management from Sullivan University.
 
"We bring in new staff with experience at various levels, both in coaching and in the development of the full body athlete," Johnston said.
 
Woolfolk's background includes technical and tactical instruction, mental performance training, stress management, resilience and high-performance mindset strategies. A former setter at Kentucky Wesleyan University, she earned multiple academic and athletic honors while setting school records.
 
With a productive core returning, new contributors joining the roster and a staff shaped around player development, Campbellsville begins 2026 looking to build on last season's 23-win campaign and position itself for another competitive run through conference play.