CHADRON, Neb. – Returning seven of their top eight leaders in sets played from a year ago, the Chadron State volleyball program will look to build on last year and grow into this year when they begin the 2026 season with the Hardrocker Tournament in Rapid City, South Dakota from Friday and Saturday.

The Eagles (5-21, 1-13 RMAC in 2025) will open the year Friday against Jamestown (10-17, 5-15 NSIC in 2025) at 2 p.m. before facing South Dakota Mines (10-16, 7-7 RMAC in 2025) in a nonconference tilt at 6 p.m.

On Saturday, the Eagles will return to Rapid City to battle Lake Superior State (1-22, 1-15 GLIAC in 2025) at 11:30 a.m., followed by Minnesota Crookston (6-22, 0-20 NSIC) at 2 p.m. to round out the classic schedule.

With the classic hosted by South Dakota Mines, all four matches this weekend will stream live on the RMAC Network and are included in any monthly or annual RMAC subscriptions. Fans can also follow along via live stats and on social media (@cscvolleyball on X/Twitter, csc.volleyball on Instagram).

Numbers to Know

• 5: Out of five teams the Eagles defeated last season that CSC plays again in 2026, including this weekend's opponent Minnesota Crookston
• 8.29: Assists per set in 2025-26 by now-sophomore setter Jillian Donovan
• 2: CSC volleyball student-athletes over 6 feet tall, up from 0 last season
• 18: Student-athletes on the 2026 volleyball roster

RMAC Network Update
For the second straight year, the RMAC Network is under a pay-per-view model, with single-game, monthly and annual subscription options to watch all of Chadron State's home games and away conference games. 

PURCHASE: RMAC NETWORK

Fans can purchase monthly subscriptions to the RMAC Network for $25 or annual passes for $130. Those prices are both unchanged from the 2025-26 season.

Looking Back
The Eagles finished with a 5-21 record in 2025. Three of Chadron State's wins came on their home court at the Chicoine Center, including over RMAC opponents Black Hills State and Western Colorado, and all five wins came in the minimum three sets.

Chadron State does return plenty of production to the 2026 roster. Mataya Ward (233 kills in 2025), Kally Kirkwood (185), Gibson Beckler (180) and Shelby Harding (104) all return, making up four of the five players to tally triple-digit kills on the season in 2025. 

Defensively, each of CSC's top five digs leaders also return – libero Avery Lacy (313 digs, 3.64 digs/set), Harding (233), Beckler (231), Donovan (191) and Josie Loosvelt (191). 

Chadron State finished the 2025 season with a pair of narrow losses at home, falling in five sets to Regis and four sets to Colorado School of Mines. 

Good Precedent
Chadron State's nonconference schedule was the most fruitful part of the season last year for the Eagles, who went 3-5 across nonconference classics before the RMAC schedule started.

Chadron State went 1-3 at the home Eagle classic to open last season, defeating UMary and falling to Saint Martin's, Augustana and nationally ranked Northern State. Then, CSC earned a 2-2 split weekend in Mankato, Minnesota, knocking off Upper Iowa and Minnesota Crookston while falling to hosts Minnesota State and nationally ranked Northern State again. 

The Eagles will face Minnesota Crookston this week and will repeat against Upper Iowa and UMary as part of next week's classic hosted by Augustana and Sioux Falls, the other two opponents for CSC next week. 

New Additions
While Chadron State returns the bulk of its production from 2025, some freshmen and transfers plan on supplementing CSC's veterans.

Two new middle blockers from the junior college ranks could play a big role in 6-foot-2 Sarah Meservey (Central Wyoming College) and 6-foot-1 Rayssa Da Silva (Dodge City CC).

Meservey averaged nearly a block per set and logged 89 total blocks while playing for the Rustlers of Riverton, Wyoming in 2025. Da Silva added 49 blocks for her juco squad while racking 97 kills offensively.

Get Set
Lincoln, Nebraska's Jillian Donovan was a bright spot for the Eagles as she immediately established herself as one of the top setters in the RMAC during her true freshman season. 

Donovan's 8.29 assists per set ranked fourth in the RMAC while her total assists (721) were also fourth in the conference. She appeared in every match for the Eagles last year and was tied for the team lead in sets played with 87 and match starts with 22.

Donovan logged the lion's share of minutes at the position, but when she had brief absences late in the season, senior Cydnie Eskew stepped up capably and 4.75 assists per set plus over 50 digs. Eskew started four matches late in the season.

Keep it Up
Libero Avery Lacy returns to the Eagle roster, with Josie Loosvelt also capable of playing in the alternate jersey. Lacy led the team with 313 digs last season (3.64/set) and also ranked second on the team with 16 service aces.

Lacy had a particularly hot start to the year last year, tallying double-digit digs in all eight nonconference matches and 14 of CSC's first 15 matches. 

Loosvelt tallied 191 digs and exceeded her 2024 career high of eight digs in 10 matches during the 2025 season. 

Two-Way Threats
Sophomore Shelby Harding and senior Gibson Beckler both ranked in the team's top five for both kills and digs last season.

Beckler (180 kills, 3^rd, and 231 digs, 3^rd) showed she could put up numbers in both, highlighted by a 23-kill, 19-dig performance against Black Hills State last season. 

Harding (104 kills, 5^th, 233 digs, 2^nd) was a strong contributor as a freshman and recorded double-doubles (10 or more kills + 10 or more digs) in each of CSC's last three matches of 2025.

Coach's Corner
Head Coach Jennifer Stadler will begin her eight season in charge of the Chadron State volleyball program in 2025, accumulating a 56-115 record in her first seven seasons. 

Prior to CSC, Stadler coached for eight seasons at Sheridan College in Wyoming, racking up three straight 20-win seasons from 2012-2014. She was a player, assistant coach and interim head coach at current RMAC foe Black Hills State, back when the Yellow Jackets competed in the Dakota Athletic Conference. 

In her first year at CSC in 2019, Stadler immediately led the Eagles to a winning record of 14-12 and coached the RMAC Co-Defensive Player of the Year in Ashton Burditt. The Eagles had a banner year in 2023, finishing 15-12 for the program's highest win total since 2003. Chadron also had an 8-6 conference mark in 2023, finishing sixth in the league and qualifying for the RMAC Tournament for the first time in 20 years.