CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Citadel volleyball team kicks off the 2026 campaign at the Seahawk Classic, hosted by UNCW, on Aug. 28-29. The Bulldogs face Kennesaw State and Le Moyne on Aug. 28 followed by the host Seahawks on Aug. 29.
 
The Bulldogs return 10 players from the 2025 season and welcome six newcomers to the squad. Greta Pleuss, a junior setter from Fond du Lac, Wis., will direct The Citadel offense throughout the year. Jordyn Sims, a sophomore opposite / outside hitter from Houston, Texas, aims to build on her successful freshman campaign and contribute offensively for the Bulldogs. Luci Lippelgoos, a junior middle blocker from Winter Haven, Fla., stands as a key defensive contributor for The Citadel, recording 69.0 total blocks, including 24 solo blocks, and 45 block assists during the 2025 campaign.
 
The Citadel has six newcomers on the team this season, including five freshmen and one graduate student. The list includes Allie Davison, Cameron Reese, Emma Pastusic, Samantha Weise, Emerson Hill, and Elizabeth Miller, a transfer from UC Irvine.

Head coach Dave Zelenock on the 2026 season:
 

Bringing in six new players, five of them freshmen, is a significant influx of athleticism and talent. With that comes a lot of excitement, but we've got our work cut out for us in educating them, getting everyone on the same page, and making sure we're all playing the same volleyball system.

Fortunately, the schedule is helpful because two of our weeks of non-conference play don't require much travel. One is at home, and the other is at CSU, so we can be in our gym and focus on us as much as possible without the stress and headaches of travel.

Competition-wise, we're going to see some very good teams. Some are at our level, and some are above it. Hopefully, that prepares us for the SoCon. I think we're still somewhere in the middle of the SoCon right now, but you never know. With a young team, we may win some games we shouldn't and lose some we shouldn't. The hope is that by the end of the year, we're playing our best volleyball and we're ready for the tournament.

As far as hosting the tournament, we're really excited about it. Hosting a tournament is always stressful for the staff, not just the volleyball staff but the entire athletic department. But doing it over three days, as we are, I think, is the best situation for our athletes, our department and our fans. We're going to have four Division I teams, all from the region, playing in one place. Hopefully, that brings in a lot of people to see different styles and different levels of volleyball, all from the Charleston area. We're really excited to be able to showcase that here.

 
Coach Dave Zelenock enters his ninth season as The Citadel's winningest head coach, boasting a career record of 140-234 and a 99-127 mark with the Bulldogs. Associate head coach Erin Kretschamar enters her fifth season with The Citadel as well.
 
Following the season opener at the Seahawks Classic, the Bulldogs will host the Lowcountry Volleyball Championship on Sept. 3-5, marking the first home tournament since 2017. The Citadel welcomes College of Charleston, Charleston Southern and South Carolina State to McAlister Field House.
 
The Citadel concludes the program's non-conference schedule at the Trojan Invitational on Sept. 18-20 before beginning league play on the road against Mercer on Sept. 25-26. Notably, the Bulldogs are slated to host new SoCon addition Tennessee Tech for the Bulldogs' first home conference matches of the season on Oct. 2-3.
 
The Citadel concludes the regular season at home against Chattanooga on Nov. 13-15 before heading north to Asheville, N.C., for the 2026 Southern Conference Volleyball Championship.