MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. – RMU Volleyball is set to open the 2026 regular season at the Black and Gold Classic in Orlando, Florida, on Friday and Saturday. The Colonials will face Stony Brook, host UCF, and NC State during the two-day tournament.
MATCHUPS
RMU will open the classic against Stony Brook on Friday at 11 a.m. The Colonials will then face host UCF at 7 p.m. to close out the opening day.
The Colonials will return to the court at noon Saturday to wrap up the invitational against NC State.
ALL-TIME VS. BLACK AND GOLD CLASSIC OPPONENTS
RMU enters the invitational with a 2-0 all-time record against Stony Brook, while the Colonials will face UCF and NC State for the first time in program history.
The last meeting between RMU and Stony Brook came in 2017, when the Colonials earned a 3-1 victory over the Seawolves in Indianapolis. Prior to that, RMU swept Stony Brook on Long Island in 2002.
2025 RECAP
The Colonials are coming off a 9-20 overall season, including a 5-13 mark in Horizon League play. RMU's five conference victories were the most in a single season since joining the Horizon League and the program's most since 2019.
The Colonials also ranked 16th nationally in digs per set, averaging 16.79, while ranking 22nd in the country in team attacks per set at 37.09.
RETURNERS
Returning to the court for the Colonials in 2026 are senior Natalie Stepanovich; juniors Natalie Frost and Keira Hornung; and sophomores Tia Schultz, Addyson Butts, Isabelle Jackson, Layla Todd and Addison Fowler.
On the offensive side, Schultz (191), Stepanovich (152) and Todd (86) ranked among the team's top five in kills last season as RMU recorded 1,328 kills and averaged 12.0 kills per set. Jackson (80) and Stepanovich (21) also ranked among the team's top five in assists, while Butts finished third on the team with 18 service aces.
Defensively, Stepanovich ranked fourth on the team with 207 digs. Hornung led the Colonials with 95 blocks, while Schultz finished third with 51. In Horizon League play, Hornung led the conference in blocks, averaging 1.17 per set.
NEW FACES
Head coach Danny Doherty and his staff added seven newcomers to the 2026 roster, including two transfers and five freshmen.
Junior transfers Anahi Alvarado and Cat Smith join the Colonials after spending their first two collegiate seasons at North Carolina A&T and Iowa Western CC, respectively.
Alvarado, a native of Tomball, Texas, spent the last two seasons at North Carolina A&T, appearing in 153 sets for the Aggies. As a sophomore, she recorded 195 digs, which ranked third on the team.
Smith, a native of Moonee Ponds, Australia, spent her first two collegiate seasons at Iowa Western CC, appearing in 61 matches. She totaled 522 digs during her two seasons with the Tritons.
Rounding out the newcomers are freshmen Kenlee Barnard, Caroline Hanner, Brianna Blair, Maddie Siphakongviseth and Lauren Decker.
- Kenlee Barnard (S, Evansville, Ind.) – A 6-1 setter, Barnard finished among the top 20 players in Indiana in hitting percentage (.360) during her senior season. She was also named to the 2025 Courier & Press All-Metro Volleyball Team.
- Caroline Hanner (OH, Dover, Ohio) – The 6-1 outside hitter brings an impressive high school résumé to RMU. Hanner was named a 2025 First Team All-Ohio honoree and the 2025 District 5 Division 3 Player of the Year, while also earning All-State recognition in 2023 and 2024.
- Brianna Blair (MB, Toledo, Ohio) – A product of Whitmer High School, Blair also played club volleyball for Premier Volleyball.
- Maddie Siphakongviseth (DS/L, Rochester, N.Y.) – The 2025-26 Gatorade New York Volleyball Player of the Year brings an accomplished high school career to Moon Township. During her senior season, Siphakongviseth was named a 2025 First Team All-State honoree, the 2025 Class AA Division 1 Player of the Year and the 2025 Libero of the Year. She recorded 662 digs during her senior campaign and helped lead Webster Schroeder High School to a 37-4-1 record and a Class AA state championship.
- Lauren Decker (OH, Wadsworth, Ohio) – A 5-10 outside hitter, Decker was a three-time Gazette MVP and a Division II All-Ohio honoree as a junior. She helped lead Wadsworth to four Suburban League National Conference championships, back-to-back regional appearances and the first state tournament berth in school history. Decker finished her high school career with 1,477 kills, appearing in all 104 of Wadsworth's matches and 333 of a possible 335 sets. She also participated in the USA Volleyball National Team Development Program.
STAFF ADDITIONS
Along with seven new players, the Colonials have bolstered their coaching staff by adding Hanna Borer as an assistant coach and Macy Stoddard as the technical coordinator.
UP NEXT
Following the Black and Gold Classic, the Colonials will return home to Moon Township to host the two-day Chick-fil-A Pittsburgh Volleyball Classic in conjunction with Duquesne beginning on Sept. 5.
