The University of Alabama in Huntsville volleyball program opens its season Friday, August 28, on the road at the two-day Ray Thrasher Classic tournament hosted by Trevecca Nazarene in Nashville.

Beginning at 12:15 p.m. tomorrow, the Chargers open the season versus Ohio Dominican before finishing the day with another match against Shorter at 7 p.m. in Trojan Fieldhouse. The Chargers finish the weekend with a 3 p.m. match against Lincoln Memorial on Saturday.

Head coach Jon Moseley enters his seventh season at the helm for the Chargers. UAH secured the No. 3 seed in the Gulf South Conference (GSC) Championship and advanced to the NCAA South Region Championship while going 24-8 overall and 15-5 in conference play.

The Chargers enter the 2026 season as the preseason favorites in the GSC after earning the No. 1 spot on the GSC Preseason Coaches poll with seven first-place votes.

UAH returns two preseason All-Conference team selections, sophomore Sydney Durban and senior Mary Grace Bundrant.

Durban was named the GSC Freshman of the Year and Second Team All-GSC last season. She returns after playing in all 32 matches for the Chargers at libero/defensive specialist while setting a team-high in digs with 518 and 42 service aces.

Bundrant returns after establishing a team-best hitting percentage of 27% while also hitting 206 kills on 516 total attacks. A middle blocker, she led the team with 37 solo blocks and 68 block assists while adding 42 digs.

Senior middle blockers Alex McGeehan and Kayla Ward return to bolster the defensive front after contributing 69 and 62 total blocks, respectively.

While Bundrant is the team's leading returner in kills, the Chargers also return sophomore outside hitter Carlee Lowry (190 kills last season), Ward (139) and sophomore setter Cooper Garrett (93).

Garrett also returns as the team's leader in assists a year ago with 617 while senior setter Anna Clare Hutto brings back 580 assists. 

In addition to the team's returners, UAH welcomed four freshmen as well as a transfer, junior outside hitter Ella Schumacher. Schumacher was named to the GSC Volleyball Newcomers to Watch List after accumulating 361 kills, 132 digs, 32 total blocks and 11 assists at Christian Brothers last season.

Following the Ray Thrasher Classic, the Chargers will return to Huntsville to host the three-day UAH Invitational, beginning Thursday, September 3.