FAIRMONT, W.Va. – The Anderson volleyball team kicked off the 2026 campaign on Friday at the Fairmont State Volleyball Classic, opening the season with a pair of victories. The Trojans swept Lees-McRae College (0-1) before earning a five-set victory over host Fairmont State University (1-1) to begin the season 2-0.
Anderson controlled the match from the start, defeating Lees-McRae 25-20, 25-21, 25-17 behind a balanced offensive attack. The Trojans overcame a Bobcat rally in the second set and pulled away in the third, closing the match on an 8-2 run to complete the sweep.
The team recorded 35 kills in their opening match, with junior Maura Kindel (Easley, S.C.) leading the way with 11 kills for a .563 hitting percentage, while senior Ava Reeves (Lexington, S.C.) added eight kills and senior Emily Campbell (Statesville, N.C.) contributed five kills and four blocks.
Senior Ellie Nieporte (Boca Raton, Fla.) directed the offense with 27 assists and two service aces, while sophomore Jamie Juhnevicz (Taylors, S.C.) added two aces and 12 digs. Sophomore Mikaylah Hedlund (Fountain Inn, S.C.) finished with five kills and seven digs, while senior Karley Black (Leander, Texas) contributed two kills and two block assists.
Anderson battled back from a pair of late-set losses to defeat Fairmont State 25-13, 25-11, 18-25, 24-26, 15-13. The Trojans dominated the opening two sets before Fairmont State responded by taking the third and fourth. Anderson held off the Fighting Falcons in a tightly contested fifth set to secure the five-set victory.
Hedlund led the Trojans with 21 kills and recorded a double-double with 10 digs. Reeves also posted a double-double with 16 kills and 11 digs, while Campbell added 17 kills and six blocks. Kindel contributed 10 kills and four blocks. The team totaled 72 kills with a .224 hitting percentage.
Nieporte tied her career record with 63 assists while recording 20 digs for a double-double. Juhnevicz led the Trojans with 37 digs and added two service aces, while sophomore Kaleigh Garren (Anderson, S.C.) recorded 15 digs and two service aces.
"I felt like we were a bit tight and nervous in our first match but did just enough to get the win," head coach Todd Hay said. "Against Fairmont State, we played some really solid volleyball in sets one and two and then had to hold on as Fairmont made some adjustments and played more disciplined. Happy to get the wins today, but we have a lot to work on going forward."
Anderson closes out the Fairmont State Volleyball Classic tomorrow, Saturday, Aug. 29, against Bowie State University (10:00 a.m.) and East Stroudsburg University (2:00 p.m.).
