Volleyball Begins Official Practice for 2026 Season
8/3/2026 4:09:00 PM | Volleyball
JACKSONVILLE – Jax State volleyball reported Monday morning for their first official practice ahead of the 2026 season.
The Gamecocks return Sophia Schweikert, Izzy Whittaker, Gemma Morris, Selin Sakiroglu, Reese Tiesing, Chloe Mittelstadt, and D'Yanna Spicer from the 2025 team. Meanwhile, 11 newcomers joined the squad during the offseason.
"So, I think that with all the new faces everyone came in super eager and super ready to learn and be better," Whittaker said. "I think we have really high expectations for ourselves, and it's really showing. All the new people are super determined to be here and super focused. I think we've been working super hard all summer long and it's showing in practice with how determined and hard working we already are."
First year head coach Tim Ebbecke's squad opens the year hosting the Gamecock Classic on Aug. 28-29 at Pete Mathews Coliseum. Prior to the regular season opening tournament, the Gamecocks host UAH on Monday, Aug. 17 at 6 p.m., for an exhibition match. On Aug. 20, the Gamecocks play an intrasquad "Red vs Black" exhibition beginning at 6 p.m.
"Honestly, we're just lucky to have really good people," Ebbecke said. "They're chasing failure, they're trying to grow, they're trying to be successful. They're not worried about the end goal, they're not worried about getting good serves and ripping it, they're worried about the process, and they stayed dialed in a lot more than I even thought they would. Just super proud to represent them."
In 2025, Jax State volleyball went 14-15 on the year and fell to Kennesaw State in the opening round of the CUSA Tournament.
To stay up-to-date with the Gamecocks, follow their Facebook (Jacksonville State Volleyball), Twitter (JaxStateVB), and Instagram (JaxStateVB) accounts.
The Gamecocks return Sophia Schweikert, Izzy Whittaker, Gemma Morris, Selin Sakiroglu, Reese Tiesing, Chloe Mittelstadt, and D'Yanna Spicer from the 2025 team. Meanwhile, 11 newcomers joined the squad during the offseason.
"So, I think that with all the new faces everyone came in super eager and super ready to learn and be better," Whittaker said. "I think we have really high expectations for ourselves, and it's really showing. All the new people are super determined to be here and super focused. I think we've been working super hard all summer long and it's showing in practice with how determined and hard working we already are."
First year head coach Tim Ebbecke's squad opens the year hosting the Gamecock Classic on Aug. 28-29 at Pete Mathews Coliseum. Prior to the regular season opening tournament, the Gamecocks host UAH on Monday, Aug. 17 at 6 p.m., for an exhibition match. On Aug. 20, the Gamecocks play an intrasquad "Red vs Black" exhibition beginning at 6 p.m.
"Honestly, we're just lucky to have really good people," Ebbecke said. "They're chasing failure, they're trying to grow, they're trying to be successful. They're not worried about the end goal, they're not worried about getting good serves and ripping it, they're worried about the process, and they stayed dialed in a lot more than I even thought they would. Just super proud to represent them."
In 2025, Jax State volleyball went 14-15 on the year and fell to Kennesaw State in the opening round of the CUSA Tournament.
To stay up-to-date with the Gamecocks, follow their Facebook (Jacksonville State Volleyball), Twitter (JaxStateVB), and Instagram (JaxStateVB) accounts.
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