Class 3A NorthWood continued to be a volleyball buzzsaw in 2025. Despite an up and down regular season, where the Panthers finished 21-15, head coach Hilary Laidig’s squad rallied in the postseason. NorthWood won the IHSAA Class 3A Wawasee Sectional and NorthWood Regional but fell in the championship match of the Huntington North Semistate.
Laidig brings back seven varsity players for 2026 including seniors Ella Branham (467 kills in 2025) and Krystal Hershberger (128 kills).
“We have some really experienced players in some key roles,” Laidig said. “We are going to have some newcomers in big roles, too.
“Our expectations don’t change. But — realistically — at the beginning of the season we’re working to get better for the end. I have full confidence that this team will go for goals that previous teams have done in those amazing Final Four appearances.”
Class 4A Northridge returns a dozen letterwinners from a 22-10 team. Among those are seniors Alli Steele (244 kills), Myah Miller (238 kills), Sami Kantz (212 digs and 163 assists) and Augist Wood (182 digs).
“We’re really excited about our schedule this year,” said 14th-year Raiders head coach Jodie Steele. “We dropped a couple of teams that aren’t in our postseason.
“We picked up Penn (in the season opener). We’re trying to test ourselves early so we’re ready for the (Northern Lakes Conference).”
Class 4A Concord (21-10) welcomes back 11 varsity contributors including sophomore Carly Clauss (219 kills and 132 digs), senior Elveera Astakhov (151 kills) and junior Ella Bloss (160 digs).
“We do have a big core group that’s back this year,” said 13th-year Minutemen head coach Kelly Chupp. “We’re really looking for Ella (Bloss) and (senior) Briana (Koontz) to step up into that setter leadership on the court (with the graduation of Claire Campanello).
“We have tons of opportunities in the front row. We have three options for middles, right side and outside and they’re all talented.”
Six varsity returners are on the roster at Class 4A Goshen, which fell in all 22 matches last season. Seniors Penelope Jimenez, Jazlyn Nafziger, Claire Shrock are among the group back and hoping to improve on last season.
“I am looking forward to the season,” said first-year RedHawks head coach Philip Habecker. “I’ve been impressed with the growth I’ve seen in these athletes, and their desire to improve.
“You have losing seasons in life, and you have winning seasons in life, and you learn from both. This team is raw, but it’s full of athletes with high ceilings. I’m excited to watch them compete.”
Class 3A Fairfield (14-16) welcomes alum Riley Anderson as head coach and has 10 varsity returners including seniors Lacy Stoltzfus (219 kills) and Elli Yoder (307 digs) and junior Paige Park (206 kills and 213 digs).
“We are an almost entirely new coaching staff this year, but bring a lot of alumni and previous coaches back into the program,” Anderson said. “These girls have worked incredibly hard over the summer and bringing in a new coaching staff with different expectations, drills etc. can be difficult but these girls have been amazing the whole way through.
“We have a core group of returners that will play large parts in our lineup as well as a new group of setters, middles and defensive specialists that will play big roles for us this season.”
Among returnees for Class 3A Wawasee (4-27) are seniors Sarah Cheng (254 digs in 2025) and Addie Delagrange (195 digs) and juniors Jadyn Klenke (137 kills and 193 digs), Zaiyla Shortill (113 kills), Hadley Allen (131 digs) and Elise Berkeypile (126 digs).
“So far this summer it’s been very positive with lots of energy and lots of excitement for the girls,” first-year Warriors head coach Ryan Edgar said. “Our goal is to improve enough to compete in a lot of matches.”
Class 2A Westview went 18-14 last season and lost to Lakeland in the 2A Central Noble Sectional final. The Warriors get black eight varsity players, including seniors Kloie Yoder (373 kills, 379 digs and 240 assists) and Addy Kauffman (163 kills and 274 digs) and junior Alayah Hostetler (361 assists).
“The girls are scrappy,” said second-year Westview head coach Whitney Rahn. “They love to play.
“They play with each other. We’re definitely going to miss our middle block (with 6-foot-1 Maddie Grossman graduating). We don’t have a ton of height, but we have girls with athleticism.”
Rahn is among the coaches that plans to employ the new two-libero rule. Only one libero can be on the court at any given time, and the rule allows more players to participate without using regular substitutions.
Class 1A Bethany Christian (5-21) also has a first-year head coach in Daniel Adcock. Among nine varsity returners are seniors Rachel Hirschler, Neer Goswami and Brianna Moser.
“We graduated our main setter last year, so we’re kind of switching our strategy this year,” Adcock said of a change to a two-setter offense. “The girls are getting used to it.
“So it’s going to be a very interesting season with changing strategy, but also with seeing how these girls can develop and grow more this year.”
{span}For sectionals; Concord, Goshen and Northridge go to the Class 4A Northridge Sectional. {/span}{span}Fairfield, NorthWood and Wawasee are in the Class 3A West Noble Sectional. {/span}{span}Westview is part of the Class 2A Lakeland Sectional and {/span}{span}Bethany Christian is in the Class 1A Fremont Sectional field{/span}
BETHANY CHRISTIAN BRUINS
2026 record: 5-21 (2-4 HPC).
Head coach: Daniel Adcock (1st season).
Assistant coach: Ivonne Ortiz.
Varsity returners: Seniors: Neer Goswami, Rachel Hirschler, Brianna Moser. Juniors: Ellie Hirschler, Sophia Leaman, Janelle Manriquez. Sophomores: Olivia Adcock, Zoe Nisley, Shayla Steele.
Rest of team: Sophomore: Natalie Imbur. Freshmen: Phoebe Collat, Melissa Moreno, Anabela Phebus.
CONCORD MINUTEMEN
2026 record: 21-10 (4-3 NLC).
Head coach: Kelly Chupp (13th season).
Assistant coaches: Ashley Beck, Taylor Abel, Emily Maggert, Brandon Abel, Laurie Rhodes.
Varsity returners: Seniors: Elveera Astakhov, Addyson Coleman, Briana Koontz, Salma Latif, Ingrid Medina. Juniors: Ella Bloss, Elishanna Njoroge, Kaylen Troup, Emma Wilson. Sophomores: Carly Clauss, Dariana Miller.
Rest of team: Juniors: Mallorey Burkus, Angie Ruiz-Urbana.
FAIRFIELD FALCONS
2026 record: 14-16 (7-3 NECC).
Head coach: Riley Anderson (1st season).
Assistant coaches: Mandy Miller, Raina Carpenter, Kaylene Gerber, Christi Miller, Kaija Kauffman, Haley Brown.
Varsity returners: Seniors: Savannah Buss, Shelby Cripe, Natalie Lenker, Monica Slabaugh, Lacy Stoltzfus, Elli Yoder. Juniors: Macy Morehouse, Paige Park, Aubrey Ross. Sophomores: Maylin Maust.
Rest of team:
Juniors: Jenna Fought, Kayli Rassi.
Sophomores: Tori Elliott, Annabel Kuhns, Reagan Miller, Charity Schwartz
Freshman: Gabby Miller.
GOSHEN REDHAWKS
2026 record: 0-22 (0-7 NLC).
Head coach: Philip Habecker (1st season).
Assistant coaches: Scott Hartman, Liv Bieganski, MacKynzie Graber, Brittney Bianchini.
Varsity returners: Seniors: Penelope Jimenez, Jazlyn Nafziger, Claire Shrock. Juniors: Faith Elrod, Ruby Shoemaker, Cora Shreiner Landes.
Rest of team: Seniors: Chloe Ennis, Gwen Habecker.
NORTHRIDGE RAIDERS
2026 record: 22-10 (4-3 NLC).
Head coach: Jodie Steele (14th season).
Assistant coaches: Marci Hoffman, Jessica Besser, McKenna Knepp, Macy Morrison.
Varsity returners: Seniors: Leighton Brown, Brooklyn Harris, Sami Kantz, Myah Miller, Alli Steele, Augist Wood. Juniors: Kendall Hall, Addison Mohamed.
Rest of team: Senior: Lexi Riegsecker. Juniors: Campbell Bojanich, Aliya Hostetler, Finley Johnson, Nicole Miller, Jovi Schmidt.
NORTHWOOD PANTHERS
2026 record: 21-15 (4-3 NLC).
Head coach: Hilary Laidig (18th season).
Assistant coaches: Audrey Duncan, Carrie O’Keefe, Whitney Gessinger, Katie Andrews, Nicole Minnich, Ali Dutkowski.
Varsity returners: Seniors: Ella Branham, Addie Davis, Krystal Hershberger, Kinzie Miller, Abby Schmucker, Allie Yoder. Junior: Nola Nephew.
Rest of team: Senior: Elsa Jessup. Juniors: Vivi Andrews, Audrey Cramer, Emily DeFreitas, Denae Goshert. Sophomores: Ja’mya Nelson, Grace Thompson, Lily Thompson. Freshman: Audrina Wilson.
WAWASEE WARRIORS
2026 record: 4-27 (1-6 NLC).
Head coach: Ryan Edgar (1st season).
Assistant coaches: Corin Nyce, Caroline Miller, Maddie Simmons, Josiah Wilson.
Varsity returners: Seniors: Sarah Cheng, Addie Delagrange, Berkley Dolsen, Lora Gonzalez. Juniors: Hadley Allen, Elise Berkeypile, Scarlett Hardy, Jadyn Klenke, Emily Ringler, Zaiyla Shortill. Sophomore: Lily Douglas.
Rest of team: Sophomore: Audrey Fitzsimmons.
WESTVIEW WARRIORS
2026 record: 18-14 (5-5 NECC).
Head coach: Whitney Rahn (2nd season).
Assistant coaches: Cortney Spencer, Allyse Yoder, Taylor Eash, Mallory Berkey.
Varsity returners: Seniors: Addy Kauffman, Graci Engle, Kloie Yoder. Junior: Alayah Hostetler. Sophomore: Brynn Bontrager, Camryn Christner, Madi Everage, Lyndora Schrock.
Rest of team: Senior: Jill Bontrager. Sophomore: Janessa Stutzman. Freshman: Ashby Yoder.