TIFFIN, Ohio – The Tiffin University volleyball team opens the 2026 season Friday with a trip to Marquette, Michigan, where the Dragons will face a pair of formidable opponents at the UP Tournament. Tiffin begins the year against nationally ranked No. 5 St. Cloud State before taking on additional strong competition throughout the opening weekend.
The challenging early-season slate continues the following weekend as the Dragons travel to Alaska for four more high-level matchups. Tiffin is scheduled to face No. T-16 Alaska Fairbanks, No. 11 Fresno Pacific, receiving votes Alaska Anchorage, and receiving votes Minnesota State, giving the Dragons six matches against nationally recognized programs in the first two weeks of the season.
"We start out with a tough non-conference slate and I believe it'll help come conference play as we start out with (RV) Findlay who is no joke and we play them twice within our first five G-MAC matches with Ashland sandwiched between," said head coach
Cary Clark. "Competition at every single one of these venues will be absolutely incredible and I've always believed taking on the best competition as it's the only way you can continue to grow."
TU closed the 2025 campaign on a high note, going 3-0 at the Midwest Region Crossover to ignite a strong finish to the season. The Dragons won their final three matches and posted a 9-2 record over their last 11 contests, carrying plenty of momentum into 2026. The 'Gons return a veteran leadership group featuring seniors
Katelyn Owens,
Maggie Pavlansky, and
Lexi Barber.
Owens earned Second Team All-G-MAC honors after totaling 175 kills and leading the team with 71 blocks, including 29 solo stops. Pavlansky will once again quarterback the TU offense after recording a career-high 750 assists in 2025, the fifth-highest total in the G-MAC. Barber also returns after appearing in 89 sets a season ago, contributing 192 digs and providing valuable experience and stability to the Dragons' lineup. They'll also be looking for a jump in production from sophomore
Parker Vackert who came on strong to close her first year on campus as she finished with 156 kills, while swinging at a .183 clip.
As announced earlier in August, the 2026 Great Midwest Volleyball Coaches Preseason Poll saw Walsh narrowly claim the top spot in the East Division with 44 points and eight first-place votes. Hillsdale was selected as the preseason favorite in the North Division, receiving 31 points and seven first-place votes, while Cedarville was tabbed as the favorite in the South Division with 34 points and 10 first-place votes. The Chargers advanced to the semifinal round of the conference championship last season as Ohio Dominican defeated No. 2 seeded Cedarville Yellow Jackets 3-2 to claim its first league title last fall.
Head coach
Cary Clark enters his second season at the helm in 2026 after welcoming six newcomers to the program. The Dragons will look to use a challenging opening stretch of competition to gain valuable experience and build momentum heading into the heart of the season.
