New Pac 12 will provide a challenge for WSU volleyball

After missing out on the post season for the first time in a decade, Korey Schroeder’s volleyball program enters the new, and challenging, Pac 12 after spending the last two seasons in the West Coast Conference. The Cougs will play a schedule that sees them play eight different programs that finished 2025 inside RPI’s top 100; while six transfers look to find their footing with their new squad.

The first team that the Cougs will play from last season’s top 100 will be former conference foe Oregon, after they play a D3 program the day before; Washington is the only other squad from the old Pac 12 that the Cougs will face. As part of the trip to Seattle, WSU will play against three straight opponents at the Alaska Airlines Arena – Lipscomb, Southern Utah, and the Huskies – and they willl be the home team for the first two of those matches. After that brief jaunt to the Emerald City, the non-conference schedule will conclude with back-to-back home matches against Long Beach State.

Conference play will kick off with a quick road trip to the San Joaquin Valley and Corvallis before they host the Aztecs for the first duel as conference foes between the two programs. The Pac 12 front loaded Washington State’s conference schedule with a road trips which means that the Cougs will close out the regular season with four straight home games – senior night will be against Gonzaga.

Receive future updates from the Evergreen PI

The in-conference road trip to keep an eye on is the seven day, three match, swing from Colorado State to Texas State to Boise State. All three of those programs finished last season ranked within the top 100, while the Bobcats finished inside the top 50.

As for the roster, the Cougs welcomed six transfers – and one freshmen – after they lost nine to the graduation or the portal. Taryn Vrieling, Melina Christodoulou, Camryn Lingenbrink, and Italia Bernal were the biggest names to leave the squad. In their place, Schroeder and his staff brought in Madyn Cervellera (Seattle U), Chloe Heimlicher (Idaho State), Audrey Hollis (Hawaii), Emerson Matthews (Buffalo), Ella Smith (Fresno State), and Naomi White (Portland State) arrived on the Palouse from the portal along with true freshmen Whitnney Dewicki.

Matthews is one of the more intriguing transfers as she averaged 3.62 kills ad 1.88 digs per set with Buffalo last season. The outside hitter’s ability to keep rallies alive will be invaluable to a squad that lost a lot of it’s best defenders during the off season.

Of the returning players, sophomore setter Livia Ward should be able to build on the solid freshmen season she had. Ward hit .282 while she played in all 28 matches and 99 of the 100 sets that took place in 2025. Also we should keep an eye on opposite hitter Kate Hayhurst, while she only played in 48 sets (and 16 matches) there were flashes of talent that make it likely she’ll see more playing time in 2026.

2026 Washington State volleyball schedule

More from the Evergreen Post Intelligencer

• 
  Sloppy defense doomed Cougars soccer to its first loss against Idaho since ’99
  by Jessica Roberts
  August 13, 2026
• 
  Unincorporated Snohomish County to have $20 car tab in order to fund Public Works road repairs
  by Jessica Roberts
  August 13, 2026
• 
  Lynnwood City Council approved the long-term water plan, critical area ordinance
  by Jessica Roberts
  August 12, 2026
• 
  Snohomish County Council passed the 0.1% public safety sales tax
  by Jessica Roberts
  August 12, 2026
• 
  LPD chief briefed the council on how the department will use the public safety grant, sales tax
  by Jessica Roberts
  August 11, 2026
• 
  Union treasurer Burgess appointed to fill vacancy on Lynnwood PFD board
  by Jessica Roberts
  August 10, 2026