Ebbecke and Staff Add 11 Newcomers For 2026
6/3/2026 4:23:00 PM | Volleyball
JACKSONVILLE – New Jax State volleyball head coach Tim Ebbecke and staff have rounded out their 2026 roster with 11 newcomers and seven returners from the 2025 squad.
"We are really excited about this group and what they bring to Jacksonville State volleyball," Ebbecke said. "Our seven returners have done a tremendous job laying the foundation of where we want this program to go, and this incoming class adds quality depth, talent, and competition throughout the roster."
The Gamecocks are coming off a 14-15 season in 2025 and an 8-8 mark in Conference USA. Jax State also made their first CUSA Tournament last season in the three years of being in the league. The Gamecocks fell to Kennesaw State in the opening round of the tournament.
"What excites me most is that they are not all the same," Ebbecke said. "They come from different regions, different backgrounds, and different volleyball experiences, which will challenge us to grow and make us a stronger team. We were intentional in finding student-athletes who fit our culture, value being part of something bigger than themselves, and are committed to helping us build a program that can compete at a high level. As we enter our first year in Conference USA as a staff, we believe this group positions us to be competitive immediately while continuing to build something that will last."
Lauren Buchanan, 6-1, Outside Hitter, Chelsea, Ala., Redshirt-Fr.
Lauren Buchanan is a transfer from Texas Tech. Buchanan did not play in 2025 for the Red Raiders as she redshirted. She is from Chelsea, Ala., where she had a storied career at Chelsea High School. Buchanan amassed 1,941 kills, 336 aces, and 986 digs in her time there as she finished with the most kills and aces in school history. In her final season, she finished 764 kills on a .315 hitting percentage. Buchanan helped her team to an Alabama 6A Final Four appearance as they won the Alabama 6A South Regional and Area 8 Championship on the way. She was an AVCA Second Team All-American and All-Region selection as well as being named the Kiwanis Club of Birmingham Volleyball Player of the year. She played club volleyball for Munciana Bama Elite.
Delaney Moon, 5-3, Libero/Defensive Specialist, Plano, Texas, Jr.
Delaney Moon transferred to Jax State after two seasons at Fairfield. In 2025, Moon played in 93 sets and 30 matches. Moon tallied 247 digs on 2.66 digs per set in her second season at Fairfield, added 14 service aces, 76 assists, and eight kills. In her freshman season, Moon appeared in 18 sets, recorded 10 digs, four assists, and one service ace. She was a 2023 All-State Honorable Mention and All-District Second Team performer as a senior at Bishop Lynch, while also being named Academic All-State. Moon added an All-District Honorable Mention in 2021 and reached the state championship final in 2022. Moon was also a standout club player, competing with Arete, Skyline, and Madfrog, where she earned three devensive MVP awards.
Taya Nordmann, 6-2, Middle Blocker, Dewitt, Mich.
Taya Nordmann joins Jax State after playing last season at Youngstown State. In 2025, Nordmann played in 110 matches and 28 matches tallying 112 kills, 27 service aces, four assists, 17 blocks, and 66 digs. Prior to Youngstown State, Nordmann started in 29 of 30 matches as a true freshman at SIUE during the 2024 season. As a freshman, Nordmann ranked second in the Ohio Valley Conference with 1.14 blocks per set. She finished her freshman season with 136 total blocks, 123 kills, and 16 aces. Before joining SIUE, Nordmann received all-district and all-region honors while also being a member of the Great Lansing All-State Team at DeWitt High School. She registered 394 kills, 106 blocks, and 50 aces as a senior and helped DeWitt to a 10-2 record in league play. Nordmann played for the Legacy Volleyball Club, which finished ninth at the AAU Nationals.
Sofia Varela, 5-10, Setter, Ottobrunn, Germany
Sofia Varela transferred from Long Island to Jax State after a season with the Sharks. While Varela did not appear in a match as a freshman last season with LIU, she was on the NEC Fall Academic Honor Roll. In Germany, Varela was a three-time national champion with TSV Turnerbund München. She was the team captain and MVP of the 18U national championship winning team. Varela won the best setter award at the U16 Bundespokal Süd (German Federal States Cup-South) in 2023. She won MVP honors at the U16 Meck-Pomm Cup in 2022.
Krista Kostoff, 6-1, Middle Blocker/Outside Hitter, Redmond, Wash.
After two seasons at Gonzaga, Krista Kostoff transferred to Jacksonville State. As a freshman with Gonzaga in 2024, Kostoff played in 22 sets over 11 matches, earning one start. She finished her freshman year with three assists, two total blocks, and six digs. In 2025, Kostoff did not appear in a match for Gonzaga. Kostoff had an impressive senior year at Eastlake. The two-time captain helped lead the Wolves to a KingCo Conference tournament championship and their first WIAA state appearance in five years with a 25-9 record. During her three-year career at Eastlake, Kostoff amassed 432 kills, recording over half of those during her senior season in which she earned First Team All-KingCo. Additionally, she racked up 193 blocks and 78 service aces. A multi-sport athlete also on the basketball court and on the track, Kostoff was a part of the 2023 WIAA 4A state championship Eastlake basketball team while earning All-KingCo honorable mention. Kostoff is the second of three to Kara and Kyle with a younger brother, Kalen, and an older sister, Karli. Her mom, Kara, is a University of Washington softball alum.
Azavia Thomas, 6-4, Outside Hitter, Waldorf, Md.
Azavia Thomas transferred to Jax State from Charlotte after spending two seasons with the 49ers. In her sophomore season, Thomas appeared in 17 games, tallied 46 kills on a .303 hitting percentage, 12 total blocks, and nine digs. Thomas did not play during her freshman campaign at Charlotte. Thomas graduated from Archbishop Carroll High School in Waldorf, Maryland.
Addison Stone, 5-10, Setter, Franklin, Tenn.
Addison "Addy" Stone joins Jax State after playing her freshman season at Marshall University. At Marshall, Stone played in two sets in two matches where she tallied three assists and one dig. She played for the Ravenwood High School Raptors in Brentwood, Tenn., for four years before signing with Marshall. At Ravenwood, Stone was named to the All-District Team in 2024, All-District Tournament Team in 2024, and was named an AAU All-American in 2025. She had a highlight of 750 assists in one season on varsity. Stone was on the Regional Championship team as a member of varsity in 2022. Stone played club volleyball for TPV.
Riley Huff, 6-1, Middle Blocker, Cartersville, Ga.
Riley Huff will be a freshman at Jax State in 2026 after playing four years at Cartersville High School. As a senior in 2025, Huff was First Team All-State and as a Junior in 2024 she was Honorable Mention All-State. She won the 2025 Region Player of the Year and was named First Team All-Region in 2025 and 2024. Huff played on the 2025 GHSA All-Star Team. In 2025, Huff was second in Georgia and 40th in the nation with 155 blocks. She also tallied 204 kills. Huff is Cartersville High School all-time block leader with 346. Huff and Cartersville went 44-7 in her senior season and made the GHSA 4A Final 4. As a junior, Huff and Cartersville went 33-12 and were the GHSA 4A State Runners-Up.
Mia Duong, 5-2, Libero/Defensive Specialist, Corpus-Christi, Texas
Mia Duong will be a freshman for Jax State volleyball after finishing her high school career with the London High School Pirates. Duong was a TGCA All-State First Team performer in 2024 and 2025. She was a four-time Libero of the Year award winner and a four-time All-Academic Team member in high school. In 2024 and 2025, Duong was All-South Texas First Team, a four-time Coastal Bend Player to Watch in the Playoffs, three-time Coastal Bend Volleyball Player to Watch, two-time All-South Texas First Team, and All-South Texas Third Team in 2023. Duong was on the THSCA 2024-2025 Super Elite Team and the 2026 CBCA All-Star Elite Team. She accumulated 2,192 digs, 166 aces, 153 assists, and 148 kills over her four-year high school career. Duong played club volleyball for the Corpus Christi Force and Corpus Christi Storm.
Anna Ray, 6-0, Middle Blocker, Murfreesboro, Tenn.
Anna Ray joins Jax State volleyball after finishing her career playing at Blackman High School. In her senior season, Ray totaled 208 kills on a .441 hitting percentage and added 50 total blocks. Ray's hitting percentage was enough for third in the state of Tennessee. She was named to the All-District First Team in 2024 and 2025. In 2024, Ray was named to the All-Regional Tournament First Team. Ray saw her team's record improve from 10-15 as a sophomore, 20-15 as a junior, and 23-8 as a senior. She played club volleyball for Rhythm Jeff for three straight seasons.
Claire Evans, 6-2, Outside Hitter, Libertyville Ill.
Claire Evans is joining the Jax State Gamecocks after a career playing for Libertyville High School. In her final season, Evans and Libertyville made it to the Elite Eight of the Illinois State Playoffs in the largest high school division. At the conclusion of the season, Evans was the 2025 North Suburban Conference Player of the Year, North Suburban All-Conference Team member, Daily Herald Lake County Player of the Year, 2025 News Sun All-Area Captain, and News Sun Player of the Year. She was also named to the Illinois Volleyball Coaches Association All-State Honorable Mention Team and the Illinois Prep Volleyball All-State Honorable Mention Team. Evans played for the Sky High 18 Elite club volleyball team as a senior. She was a member of the Sky High 16 Elite team that were 16 USA Division National Championships.
To stay up-to-date with the Gamecocks, follow their Facebook (Jacksonville State Volleyball), Twitter (JaxStateVB), and Instagram (JaxStateVB) accounts.
"We are really excited about this group and what they bring to Jacksonville State volleyball," Ebbecke said. "Our seven returners have done a tremendous job laying the foundation of where we want this program to go, and this incoming class adds quality depth, talent, and competition throughout the roster."
The Gamecocks are coming off a 14-15 season in 2025 and an 8-8 mark in Conference USA. Jax State also made their first CUSA Tournament last season in the three years of being in the league. The Gamecocks fell to Kennesaw State in the opening round of the tournament.
"What excites me most is that they are not all the same," Ebbecke said. "They come from different regions, different backgrounds, and different volleyball experiences, which will challenge us to grow and make us a stronger team. We were intentional in finding student-athletes who fit our culture, value being part of something bigger than themselves, and are committed to helping us build a program that can compete at a high level. As we enter our first year in Conference USA as a staff, we believe this group positions us to be competitive immediately while continuing to build something that will last."
Lauren Buchanan, 6-1, Outside Hitter, Chelsea, Ala., Redshirt-Fr.
Lauren Buchanan is a transfer from Texas Tech. Buchanan did not play in 2025 for the Red Raiders as she redshirted. She is from Chelsea, Ala., where she had a storied career at Chelsea High School. Buchanan amassed 1,941 kills, 336 aces, and 986 digs in her time there as she finished with the most kills and aces in school history. In her final season, she finished 764 kills on a .315 hitting percentage. Buchanan helped her team to an Alabama 6A Final Four appearance as they won the Alabama 6A South Regional and Area 8 Championship on the way. She was an AVCA Second Team All-American and All-Region selection as well as being named the Kiwanis Club of Birmingham Volleyball Player of the year. She played club volleyball for Munciana Bama Elite.
Delaney Moon, 5-3, Libero/Defensive Specialist, Plano, Texas, Jr.
Delaney Moon transferred to Jax State after two seasons at Fairfield. In 2025, Moon played in 93 sets and 30 matches. Moon tallied 247 digs on 2.66 digs per set in her second season at Fairfield, added 14 service aces, 76 assists, and eight kills. In her freshman season, Moon appeared in 18 sets, recorded 10 digs, four assists, and one service ace. She was a 2023 All-State Honorable Mention and All-District Second Team performer as a senior at Bishop Lynch, while also being named Academic All-State. Moon added an All-District Honorable Mention in 2021 and reached the state championship final in 2022. Moon was also a standout club player, competing with Arete, Skyline, and Madfrog, where she earned three devensive MVP awards.
Taya Nordmann, 6-2, Middle Blocker, Dewitt, Mich.
Taya Nordmann joins Jax State after playing last season at Youngstown State. In 2025, Nordmann played in 110 matches and 28 matches tallying 112 kills, 27 service aces, four assists, 17 blocks, and 66 digs. Prior to Youngstown State, Nordmann started in 29 of 30 matches as a true freshman at SIUE during the 2024 season. As a freshman, Nordmann ranked second in the Ohio Valley Conference with 1.14 blocks per set. She finished her freshman season with 136 total blocks, 123 kills, and 16 aces. Before joining SIUE, Nordmann received all-district and all-region honors while also being a member of the Great Lansing All-State Team at DeWitt High School. She registered 394 kills, 106 blocks, and 50 aces as a senior and helped DeWitt to a 10-2 record in league play. Nordmann played for the Legacy Volleyball Club, which finished ninth at the AAU Nationals.
Sofia Varela, 5-10, Setter, Ottobrunn, Germany
Sofia Varela transferred from Long Island to Jax State after a season with the Sharks. While Varela did not appear in a match as a freshman last season with LIU, she was on the NEC Fall Academic Honor Roll. In Germany, Varela was a three-time national champion with TSV Turnerbund München. She was the team captain and MVP of the 18U national championship winning team. Varela won the best setter award at the U16 Bundespokal Süd (German Federal States Cup-South) in 2023. She won MVP honors at the U16 Meck-Pomm Cup in 2022.
Krista Kostoff, 6-1, Middle Blocker/Outside Hitter, Redmond, Wash.
After two seasons at Gonzaga, Krista Kostoff transferred to Jacksonville State. As a freshman with Gonzaga in 2024, Kostoff played in 22 sets over 11 matches, earning one start. She finished her freshman year with three assists, two total blocks, and six digs. In 2025, Kostoff did not appear in a match for Gonzaga. Kostoff had an impressive senior year at Eastlake. The two-time captain helped lead the Wolves to a KingCo Conference tournament championship and their first WIAA state appearance in five years with a 25-9 record. During her three-year career at Eastlake, Kostoff amassed 432 kills, recording over half of those during her senior season in which she earned First Team All-KingCo. Additionally, she racked up 193 blocks and 78 service aces. A multi-sport athlete also on the basketball court and on the track, Kostoff was a part of the 2023 WIAA 4A state championship Eastlake basketball team while earning All-KingCo honorable mention. Kostoff is the second of three to Kara and Kyle with a younger brother, Kalen, and an older sister, Karli. Her mom, Kara, is a University of Washington softball alum.
Azavia Thomas, 6-4, Outside Hitter, Waldorf, Md.
Azavia Thomas transferred to Jax State from Charlotte after spending two seasons with the 49ers. In her sophomore season, Thomas appeared in 17 games, tallied 46 kills on a .303 hitting percentage, 12 total blocks, and nine digs. Thomas did not play during her freshman campaign at Charlotte. Thomas graduated from Archbishop Carroll High School in Waldorf, Maryland.
Addison Stone, 5-10, Setter, Franklin, Tenn.
Addison "Addy" Stone joins Jax State after playing her freshman season at Marshall University. At Marshall, Stone played in two sets in two matches where she tallied three assists and one dig. She played for the Ravenwood High School Raptors in Brentwood, Tenn., for four years before signing with Marshall. At Ravenwood, Stone was named to the All-District Team in 2024, All-District Tournament Team in 2024, and was named an AAU All-American in 2025. She had a highlight of 750 assists in one season on varsity. Stone was on the Regional Championship team as a member of varsity in 2022. Stone played club volleyball for TPV.
Riley Huff, 6-1, Middle Blocker, Cartersville, Ga.
Riley Huff will be a freshman at Jax State in 2026 after playing four years at Cartersville High School. As a senior in 2025, Huff was First Team All-State and as a Junior in 2024 she was Honorable Mention All-State. She won the 2025 Region Player of the Year and was named First Team All-Region in 2025 and 2024. Huff played on the 2025 GHSA All-Star Team. In 2025, Huff was second in Georgia and 40th in the nation with 155 blocks. She also tallied 204 kills. Huff is Cartersville High School all-time block leader with 346. Huff and Cartersville went 44-7 in her senior season and made the GHSA 4A Final 4. As a junior, Huff and Cartersville went 33-12 and were the GHSA 4A State Runners-Up.
Mia Duong, 5-2, Libero/Defensive Specialist, Corpus-Christi, Texas
Mia Duong will be a freshman for Jax State volleyball after finishing her high school career with the London High School Pirates. Duong was a TGCA All-State First Team performer in 2024 and 2025. She was a four-time Libero of the Year award winner and a four-time All-Academic Team member in high school. In 2024 and 2025, Duong was All-South Texas First Team, a four-time Coastal Bend Player to Watch in the Playoffs, three-time Coastal Bend Volleyball Player to Watch, two-time All-South Texas First Team, and All-South Texas Third Team in 2023. Duong was on the THSCA 2024-2025 Super Elite Team and the 2026 CBCA All-Star Elite Team. She accumulated 2,192 digs, 166 aces, 153 assists, and 148 kills over her four-year high school career. Duong played club volleyball for the Corpus Christi Force and Corpus Christi Storm.
Anna Ray, 6-0, Middle Blocker, Murfreesboro, Tenn.
Anna Ray joins Jax State volleyball after finishing her career playing at Blackman High School. In her senior season, Ray totaled 208 kills on a .441 hitting percentage and added 50 total blocks. Ray's hitting percentage was enough for third in the state of Tennessee. She was named to the All-District First Team in 2024 and 2025. In 2024, Ray was named to the All-Regional Tournament First Team. Ray saw her team's record improve from 10-15 as a sophomore, 20-15 as a junior, and 23-8 as a senior. She played club volleyball for Rhythm Jeff for three straight seasons.
Claire Evans, 6-2, Outside Hitter, Libertyville Ill.
Claire Evans is joining the Jax State Gamecocks after a career playing for Libertyville High School. In her final season, Evans and Libertyville made it to the Elite Eight of the Illinois State Playoffs in the largest high school division. At the conclusion of the season, Evans was the 2025 North Suburban Conference Player of the Year, North Suburban All-Conference Team member, Daily Herald Lake County Player of the Year, 2025 News Sun All-Area Captain, and News Sun Player of the Year. She was also named to the Illinois Volleyball Coaches Association All-State Honorable Mention Team and the Illinois Prep Volleyball All-State Honorable Mention Team. Evans played for the Sky High 18 Elite club volleyball team as a senior. She was a member of the Sky High 16 Elite team that were 16 USA Division National Championships.
To stay up-to-date with the Gamecocks, follow their Facebook (Jacksonville State Volleyball), Twitter (JaxStateVB), and Instagram (JaxStateVB) accounts.
Players Mentioned
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