Sherman, Texas -- It's a big year for Austin College volleyball as the program celebrates its 50th year as a varsity sport, with the 'Roos coming off of a season in which they went 19-12 overall with a Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference mark of 12-4. With a strong group of returning players and a deep crop of newcomers, head coach Ed Garza has his squad poised to make some noise in the new year.
Leading the way will be seniors Laynie Kovacs, Victoria Larson, and Katie Riemer, who will be looking to finish out their careers on a high after helping the team to a SCAC Tournament quarterfinal appearance a year ago. With last year's starting setter Madison Manning lost to graduation, Riemer is poised to take over the starting spot after averaging 3.63 assists-per-set and 1.34 digs-per-set in 2025, while Kovacs enters the year as one of the most prolific liberos in Austin College volleyball history. The All-SCAC performer totaled 601 digs last year for an average of 5.32 digs-per-set, bringing her career totals to 1,936 digs and an average of 5.53 digs-per-set for her career.
Larson, meanwhile, will be one of the top options at the net for Austin College, as the 6-foot-3 senior enters her final campaign with a total of 258 kills, averaging 1.47 kills-per-set, in her two years with the program. Larson has also been effective on defense, with 65 digs and 84 total blocks in 57 matches with the 'Roos. One of the biggest returners, both in terms of height at the net, as a 6-foot-2 middle, and impact on the court, will be Madisin Hartsfield. The sophomore earned All-Conference accolades in her collegiate debut after leading the conference in both overall blocks (121) and blocks-per-set (1.14). Her 41 block solos also paced the conference last year, while she added 1.6 kills-per-set with a .256 attacking percentage.
Austin College should be strong defensively, with players like Mia Johnson, Abby Sadler, and Jade Reim returning as defensive specialists, while Caroline Smith and Lindi Perry will be counted on to step up to help replace the losses of All-Conference outside hitters Rachel Sadler and Samantha Graham.
Ashby McCracken will also be back after getting significant time on the court at setter in her first year of collegiate volleyball, and Kat Stein adds extra depth at the position.
Garza's team boasts a big, deep, and talented class of newcomers this year, with several first-year student-athletes poised to make an immediate impact. Elizabeth Oh should challenge for time at setter, and Carly Curtis and Jessi McMahon are in line to make up for the departed Graham, who anchored the right side position for the 'Roos over the last few years. They won't be the only newcomers and young returners ready to step up on a roster that features only six juniors and seniors, and the young, talented crop of sophomores and first-years will afford the long-time head coach, who ranks among the winningest in NCAA Division III history, plenty of options and flexibility throughout the season. Austin College opens play on September 1 against Howard Payne and Paul Quinn, with both matches set to be played in Hughey Gym. The team will first take the court at 6:00 p.m. against HPU.
