BGSU volleyball announced its 2026 recruiting class following the sixth-place finish in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) and a semifinal appearance in the conference tournament. The signees will contribute to the 2026 regular season on a team that finished 17-15 overall and 10-8 in MAC play.
The three incoming freshmen replace three outgoing seniors from the 2025 season: opposite hitter Lauryn Hovey, middle blocker Jessica Andrews, and defensive specialist Isabelle Laube. There is also a potential departure of sophomore setter Anna Sitek, who entered the transfer portal according to College VBall Transfers, but has not yet committed to another school.
Vivian Jones | Outside Hitter – Brighton, Michigan
Jones will join the Falcons after four seasons with Brighton High School in Michigan. During the 2025 season, she earned All-Conference honors amidst a 10-0 conference record and title. The 6-foot-2 hitter was also an Honors Society member, Co-President of Brighton’s Model UN (United Nations), a state-qualifying member of DECA, and a two-time attendee of the KLAA leadership summit.,
“We’re excited to welcome Vivian to BGSU volleyball,” said head coach Alex DelPiombo. “She’s a powerful hitter with physicality and a ton of upside. Her athletic tools give her the potential to become a real force at the collegiate level, and we are looking forward to helping her continue to grow and reach her potential.”
Jones will join six other outside hitters next season, along with a fellow freshman. Some of the eight pin hitters in 2026 will play the right side of the court as Hovey’s absence leaves just one opposite hitter on the roster.
The freshman will be the tallest hitter on the team and, with Helen Wilford and fellow recruit Ania Mangier, will be tied for the tallest player on the team.
Ania Mangier | Middle Blocker – London, Ontario
BGVB has had a Canadian player on their roster every season since 2017 and continues that trend with Mangier. The 6-foot-2middle played for Team Canada’s Youth National team, as did Hovey and Andrews before their careers at Bowling Green. Alongside her participation in Canada’s National Excellence Program and her designation as a two-time All-Canadian Honoree, she was named the 2023 Forest City Volleyball Club MVP and the 2024 High School Jr. Girls Volleyball MVP.
“We’re thrilled to add Ania to our roster,” said DelPiombo. “She brings valuable high-level experience and a tremendous foundation at the middle blocker position. With her size, skill set, and competitive mindset, she has the potential to develop into a dominant force in our program. We’re excited to see how she grows and impacts our team in the years ahead.”
BG has three returning middle blockers in 2026, both Wilford and Kendall Williams, who are highly effective two-way players that each averaged about 1.6 points per set. Andrews’s absence is a massive loss for the team but opens 104 sets of opportunity for Mangier.
Makiaya Turner | Outside Hitter – Pickerington, Ohio
Turner won four consecutive first-place finishes at Pickerington North High School with a 36-4 record over that time. The 5-foot-11 hitter scored 697 kills, 407 digs, 100 aces, and 81 blocks amidst a District Runner-Up in 2023 and a District Championship in 2025. Her on-court success earned her First Team All-OCC twice, Second Team All-District twice, and the 2024 Offensive Player of the Year award.
“Makaiya is an incredible addition to our program; she’s an explosive player with the athleticism and competitiveness that elevates everyone around her,” said DelPiombo. “Her energy, determination, and love for the game will make an impact on our team culture and success.”
Like Jones, Turner will join seven returning pin hitters in competition for about three spots on the floor at a time. BG loses no outside hitters and one opposite hitter (Hovey) from 2025 to 2026.
Current junior Avery Hobson, redshirt-sophomore Edyta Waclawczyk, and freshman Anastasija Bozic are the biggest threats to playing time for both players. The most influential outside hitters in 2025, Hobson played 119 of 124 sets for the Falcons last year, Waclawczyk played 83, and Bozic landed 70.
