CLEVELAND, Ga. – Truett McConnell women's volleyball starts Appalachian Athletic Conference play this Saturday at Noon with a match against Columbia College on the road.
 
The Lady Bears and Koalas split the season series in 2025, with the former taking the first match 3-1 and the latter winning the second match 3-2. Both teams missed out on the AAC tournament last season.
 
Columbia College starts the 2026 campaign with a 2-4 record which includes an 0-3 stretch in its last three matches. The Koalas will play the second of a two-match weekend against Truett. The team plays a Friday-night conference opener tonight vs. Montreat at home.
 
Tamia Fripp leads the team offensively with 2.22 kills per set with 40 kills overall and is also the team leader in points with 44.5 overall. She is joined by Sarah Jones who has 33 total kills and 42.0 points on the year. Setter Debra Shephard has 74 assists on the year and 4.93 per set. Katie Roberts is the defensive leader with 68 digs through six matches.
 
For the Lady Bears, Faith Clarkson has 1.82 kills per set and 89 overall, hitting for a percentage of .212. Fellow senior Julia Fisher has 1.61 k/s and 71 kills on the year. On the serve, Jade Seaman has an impressive 0.75 aces per set, which ranks second in the conference. Caroline Yeager leads the team in total aces with 22 in 2026. The team overall is first in the conference in aces (151) and aces per set (2.90)
 
On the set, Grace Lamontagne has a team-leading 136 assists with Yeager being right behind her with 122. Defensively, Adleigh Schwier is first on the squad with 73 digs, good for 1.46 per set. Elizabeth Cook controls the net with 23 total blocks which includes 15 block solos.