WASHINGTON – The Gallaudet University women's volleyball team enters the 2026 season with a new-look roster but familiar expectations as the Bison were picked first in the United East Conference preseason coaches' poll.
Gallaudet returns three starters from last year's squad and will look to seniors
Brielle Worley (Amarillo, Texas) and
Jada Zarembka (Riverside, Calif.) to lead a young team that is expected to have three first-year players in the starting lineup.
Head coach
Lynn Ray Boren enters his 21st season at the helm of the Bison and is the three-time reigning United East Coach of the Year.
Below is a breakdown of the 2026 Gallaudet women's volleyball team.
2025 Review
Record: 24-6
United East Record: 10-0
Highlights: Gallaudet went undefeated in United East play to win the 2025 regular-season championship. The Bison did not participate in the United East tournament due to a scheduling conflict with the 2025 Summer Deaflympics in Tokyo, Japan, where several members of the program represented Team USA. Gallaudet led NCAA Division III with a .285 hitting percentage and featured United East Player of the Year
Brielle Worley and three-time United East Coach of the Year
Lynn Ray Boren. Worley earned AVCA All-America honorable mention honors while she,
Jada Zarembka and
Ella Gamble received AVCA All-Region recognition.
TOP RETURNERS
Brielle Worley (Amarillo, Texas), Sr., Outside Hitter
Worley returns after one of the top offensive seasons in NCAA Division III as she recorded 509 kills and averaged 4.85 kills per set while hitting .320. The two-time reigning United East Player of the Year ranked among the nation's leaders in kills and kills per set and earned AVCA All-America honorable mention and AVCA All-Region first-team honors for the second consecutive season. Worley was also named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-America® first team.
Jada Zarembka (Riverside, Calif.), Sr., Outside Hitter
Zarembka moves to outside hitter this season after earning All-United East first-team and AVCA All-Region honorable mention honors in 2025. She finished second on the team with 290 kills, hit .316 and added 194 digs, 61 blocks and 34 service aces.
Kayla Debrow (Jacksonville, Fla.), So., Middle Hitter
Debrow appeared in all 30 matches and made 22 starts during her first season with the Bison. She hit .299 with 67 kills and 56 blocks and gained valuable experience in the middle as a first-year player.
KEY LOSSES
Ella Gamble (Cullowhee, N.C.), Setter
Gamble earned All-United East first-team and AVCA All-Region honorable mention honors last season after she passed out 1,101 assists and led NCAA Division III with 109 service aces. The three-year starter finished her Gallaudet career with 3,562 assists and 322 service aces and was named the 2025 United East Women's Volleyball Senior Scholar Athlete.
Citrine Lummer (Frederick, Md.), Outside Hitter
Lummer earned All-United East first-team honors for the third consecutive season after she recorded 285 kills, 379 digs and 45 service aces. The four-time all-conference selection surpassed 1,000 career kills and 1,000 career digs during her senior season.
Nicole Hicks (Corona, Calif.), Libero
Hicks led the Bison defense with 426 digs and added 36 service aces during her senior campaign. She earned All-United East third-team honors for the first all-conference selection of her career.
Candace Broadnax (Springfield, Va.), Middle Hitter
Broadnax hit .344 with 85 kills and 58 blocks in 26 matches during her senior season. She finished second on the team in blocks.
Gamble and Lummer remain with the program this fall as assistant coaches on Boren's staff. The two are joined by fellow Gallaudet women's volleyball alum
Adele Daniels.
IMPACT ADDITIONS
Gracie Gloster (Clark, N.J.), Fy., Setter
Gloster will have the challenging responsibility of filling the setter position following Gamble's graduation. She is an athletic player who brings versatility and multiple skills to the court and will be counted on to help direct the Bison offense.
Tori Harris (Stockbridge, Ga.), Fy., Libero
Harris will take over the libero position and brings valuable experience from her club volleyball background. She will look to establish a strong defensive mindset and become a key part of Gallaudet's defensive identity.
Aliyah Medearis (Colorado Springs, Colo.), Fy., Opposite
Medearis is expected to take on an important role at opposite this season. She will have an opportunity to contribute on both sides of the ball as she develops during her first collegiate season.
QUOTING COACH
"We have a new group with a different energy, and three first-year student-athletes are expected to step into starting roles. This season will be about building confidence, developing trust and learning how to compete together. We will see how much we can grow as a team throughout the season, and I'm excited to see what this group can accomplish together."
– Lynn Ray Boren, Gallaudet University women's volleyball head coach.
SCHEDULE OVERVIEW
- Season Opener: vs. New England College at Elmira College Quad Match (Fri., Sept. 4, 6 p.m.)
- Home/Conference Opener: vs. Penn St.-Abington (Mon., Sept. 21, 7 p.m.)
- Worthington Classic: Two-day Home Tournament (Fri., Sept. 25-Sat., Sept. 26)
- Homecoming, Senior Night: vs. Wilson (Fri., Oct. 16, 6 p.m.)
Gallaudet opens the season at the Elmira College Quad Match in Elmira, N.Y., on Sept. 4-5. The Bison will face New England College, Geneva College and host Elmira College during the opening weekend.
The Bison remain on the road for matches at Hood College (Sept. 9), a tri-match against Saint Elizabeth University and host Sweet Briar College (Sept. 12) and Goucher College (Sept. 17).
Gallaudet makes its home debut on Monday, Sept. 21, when Penn State Abington visits Padden Court in the Field House for the United East opener. The Bison make the short trip across Washington, D.C., to face The Catholic University of America (Sept. 23) before returning home for the annual Worthington Classic.
The Bison welcome Arcadia University, the University of Mount Union and Eastern University to Padden Court for the Worthington Classic on Sept. 25-26. Gallaudet closes out the month with a home match against Marymount (Va.) University on Sept. 30.
The month of October begins with five straight matches away from home, including United East contests against Penn College and Penn State Harrisburg. Gallaudet returns to Padden Court on Oct. 10 for a tri-match against conference foe Keystone College and Regis (Mass.) College.
The Bison will celebrate Homecoming and Senior Day on Friday, Oct. 16, when Wilson College visits Padden Court. Gallaudet will also host Penn State Berks (Oct. 20) and Lancaster Bible College (Oct. 28) during the final stretch of the regular season.
Gallaudet closes out its regular-season and United East schedule on the road at Notre Dame of Maryland University on Oct. 31.
The 2026 United East Women's Volleyball Championship begins with the quarterfinal round on Nov. 7. The semifinals will be held Nov. 11 with the conference championship scheduled for Nov. 14.
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