FORT WAYNE, Ind. - It is a new look for the 2026 Midway women's volleyball team as the Eagles look to have a bounce-back season, starting with the Onset Invitational this weekend in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
The Eagles return 13 players from last year's roster, with the biggest loss being Lindsey Whitehouse. Whitehouse recorded 233 assists for the Eagles last season, which was the best on the team.
A big piece returns for Midway in Alyssa Medeiros. The junior from Pueblo West, Colorado, led the team in multiple categories, including points (165.5), points per set (2.47), kills (141) and kills per set (2.10). She also finished with 17 service aces, which was tied for second best on the team.
Also returning for the Eagles is sophomore outside hitter Ava Benner. The Charlestown, Indiana, native had a standout freshman season. She finished the season with 158.5 points, 2.09 points per set and 136 kills.
In her first season, head coach Sam Young brought in three players from Oakland City: Lanie Cornelious, Marlee Laycock and Kate Hoskins. Laycock played in 31 matches in 2025, recording six kills and 49 assists. Hoskins appeared in seven matches, recording four kills and two assists. Cornelius appeared in 15 matches and recorded 32 kills and is a player to watch in the River States Conference.
"You can see that we have good competition within each other and I think we will have a huge turnaround," said sophomore Mayson Delong during the RSC Volleyball Media Day interview. "We are very tight-knit, and we are very good with one another. Even with the new players, incorporating them in, you can see it on the court too."
Sam Young enters her first year at the helm of the Midway women's volleyball program. A Louisville native, Young is familiar with the NAIA landscape. She comes to Midway after serving as an assistant coach at Cumberland, where she helped the Phoenix win a Mid-South Conference title and earn an appearance in the NAIA National Tournament. While at Cumberlands, she also earned Assistant Coach of the Year honors.
This weekend begins a new era of Midway volleyball as the Eagles travel to Fort Wayne, Indiana, to compete in the Onset Invitational.
The first match of the season will be Friday as the Eagles take on Huntington. This will be just the second all-time meeting between the two schools. The only previous contest came in 2011 when the Foresters swept the Eagles 3-0. The match is set for 2:30 p.m. on Court 5 at the Turnstone Center. Later that evening, the Eagles will take on Saint Francis (Ind.) in the first matchup between the two schools.
The weekend wraps up with two more matches on Saturday. Midway will face Lawrence Tech at 10:45 a.m. before closing the weekend against Rochester Christian at 5 p.m. Both contests will take place on Court 2 at the Turnstone Center.
The entire invitational will be available to watch for a fee on BallerTV.
About Midway University Athletics
Midway University competes in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and its 29 athletics teams are part of the River States Conference, Mid-South Conference, the Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association, and USA Archery. For more information about Midway University Athletics, please visit
www.gomidwayeagles.com or contact
Tyler Beck at 859-846-5366.
