Here’s my official introduction to the SummitVBFan feed with disclaimers, biggest influencers, commitments, wish list, upcoming shows, and how to connect and follow along. Welcome to SummitVBFan Why I Started This Feed My Vision for Summit ... youtu.be/zdNP4vKhWAU?si=U_RD… via @YouTube

Looks like Summit League volleyball is staying on Midco Sports Plus. Hopefully all of the member schools are happy with the new deal. I'm excited to check out some of the new features and see how they enhance the fan experience.

Big Class of 2028 recruiting news! Omaha is recruiting at an elite level. After landing Reagan Meyers, the #70-ranked player in the Class of 2027 last month, the Mavericks have followed it up by securing a commitment from Olivia Maciel, ranked #80 in the Class of 2028. Another huge get for Omaha and further proof that the Mavericks are building something special on the recruiting trail.

Updated with the release of North Dakota State's non-conference schedule. Four down, four to go in the Summit League.

The full schedule is out for North Dakota State. If you want to see the Bison during the first four weeks of the season, pack your bags. NDSU is following the St. Thomas blueprint from 2025 with zero home non-conference matches. As a Bison fan, I hope all that travel helps position NDSU for similar late-November success. This schedule is tougher than last year's, largely because every match is away from Fargo. Based on average Massey rankings, the opponent strength is only slightly higher, but the travel component adds another level of difficulty. That said, I'm expecting big things from this group. I love the returning core, and I'll make the prediction now: North Dakota State will be at least 8-2 when the Bison return home to face St. Thomas to open Summit League play.

Happy Class of 2028 Calling Day! 📞🏐 Good luck to all of the Summit League coaches working the phones today. The Summit footprint is well represented in both the PrepDig Top 100 and VBAdrenaline Top 150 rankings. VBAdrenaline's top-ranked 2028 prospect is Shayla Rautenberg of Milford, Nebraska. PrepDig's #4 player nationally is Josalyn Samuels from Harrisburg, SD - the same program that produced incoming South Dakota freshman standout Gabi Zachariasen. Meanwhile, PrepDig's #13 player in the nation is Mesa Jameson from Eagan, Minnesota. Seven of the Top 50 ranked players in the country come from Summit League states. A few names I'll be watching closely because I've had the chance to see them in action: Ellyssa Homberg (#11 in Minnesota) and Dori Granlund (#14 in Minnesota), both just across the river from North Dakota State starring for the Moorhead Spuds. On the North Dakota side, Baylor Dinger and Olivia Bratton of West Fargo Sheyenne check in as the state's #1 and #2 ranked prospects. Plenty of local talent to keep an eye on in the Class of 2028. Shayla Rautenberg prepdig.com/player/shayla-ra… Josalyn Samuels prepdig.com/player/josalyn-s… Mesa Jameson prepdig.com/player/mesa-jame…

Quick Summit League volleyball update: I double-checked each program's website, and the remaining schedules still haven't been posted. St. Thomas, South Dakota State, and South Dakota remain the only schools with complete schedules available. Losing two dates with Denver only added to the scheduling challenges this year.

Amazing volleyball career continues for Cathy George, Cathy Olson during her time at North Dakota State. She went 87-11 in her remarkable two seasons at NDSU, including a 3rd-place finish at the NCAA Division II Championships in 1988. She later won 666 matches as a collegiate head coach, including 301 at Michigan State, before moving into the professional ranks. I'd love to see @NDSUathletics bring her back to Fargo and honor one of the most accomplished coaches in Bison history.

Thank you @Bison1660 for the NDSU volleyball update with Coach Lopez. It sounds like NDSU will open the 2026 season with four straight weeks on the road, traveling to Tulane, Boise State, Montana State, and Gonzaga before returning home. The Bison are expected to carry a full roster of 18 players, including seven newcomers (six freshmen and transfer setter Sarah Pfiffner from West Virginia). The return of Lauren Jansen, Arianna Blohm, Zoe John, and Emma Tallman is significant, especially since several of them currently rank among my Top 20 returning players in the Summit League.

Big recruiting news out of Omaha! Reagan Meyers, a 6-3 middle blocker from Superior, Nebraska, has announced her commitment to Omaha. Meyers is currently ranked #70 nationally in the Class of 2027 by PrepDig and checks in as the #3-ranked player in Nebraska. Now I understand why Coach Buttermore posted that it was a great day to be a Maverick. This is a major recruiting win for Omaha and another sign that the Summit League is on the rise. Reagan Meyers prepdig.com/player/reagan-me…

Portal Update: South Dakota State has landed a middle blocker out of the Atlantic 10 Conference. While at Academy of Holy Angels, PrepDig ranked Claire Logeais as the No. 11 middle blocker in Minnesota. She helped lead the Stars to three consecutive conference championships before joining the Flyers. As a freshman at Dayton, Logeais appeared in 27 sets and recorded five blocks against South Dakota State on September 12.

Portal Update: Oral Roberts has landed 5-11 opposite hitter Sienna Wnetrzak from UT Martin of the Ohio Valley Conference. As a freshman in 2025, Wnetrzak appeared in 14 matches and recorded a season-high 8 kills against Chattanooga. Another addition for the Golden Eagles as they continue to reshape the roster.

Portal Update: North Dakota lands Lilliana Montes, a 6-4 middle blocker from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. Montes was named to the MEAC All-Rookie Team in 2024 and earned Second Team All-MEAC honors last season as a sophomore after hitting .302 with 191 kills. Nice roster addition for head coach David Nguyen and the Fighting Hawks.

The top 3 returning teams in the league have now completed their non-conference schedules, and all 3 scheduled with confidence. Each program has put itself in position to help the Summit League chase an NCAA at-large bid for the 3rd consecutive season. Very impressed with the schedules released so far. Excited to see what the rest of the league puts together.

Full schedule is out for South Dakota. Outstanding non-conference schedule featuring 7 matches against teams that finished in the Top 100 of last year’s Massey ratings. Home matches decrease this season as the Coyotes trade the traditional Coyote Invitational for the South Dakota Lottery College Volleyball Classic in Sioux Falls featuring a pair of Big Ten opponents.

Big recruiting news! St. Thomas lands versatile six-rotation player Audrey Kocon after spending the last two seasons competing in the Big East at Providence. Former Mounds View (MN) prep star is a huge late-cycle addition for the Tommies. Kocon recorded four triple-doubles last year and ranked 3rd in the Big East in aces per set.

Still waiting on official fall rosters, but according to VBAdrenaline the Summit League will feature four incoming freshmen ranked as either Red (Elite Impact Player) or Orange (Strong Division I Player) prospects to watch early. South Dakota currently owns the nation’s #27 incoming class on the site, with Omaha ranking 2nd in the Summit League and South Dakota State 3rd. Top-rated incoming freshmen: • Gabi Zachariasen (South Dakota) • Chloe Kmiecik (South Dakota) • Khylie Remmenge (Oral Roberts) • Cora Metcalf (Omaha)

Kansas City picks up a solid 6’1” middle blocker from Serbia. Last season at Columbia College, she averaged 1.06 blocks per set and 1.37 kills per set while hitting .249. Nice add for the Roos.

UND head coach David Nguyen picks up a very nice piece to the puzzle in Grand Forks with the addition of Andrea Zaric. Zaric posted a season-high 16 kills against Nguyen’s FDU squad last year while hitting .324 in the match. She now arrives at UND with 639 career Division I kills coming off her most efficient season yet (.176 hitting percentage). Very nice addition for the Fighting Hawks.

Holy cow, this is awesome to see. South Dakota State volleyball has already received 1,000 season ticket requests for this upcoming season. The appetite for high-level volleyball in this league just keeps growing. There’s no reason the Summit League can’t draw 100,000 volleyball fans this year. Volleyball is booming.