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The Columbus Lady Cardinals are ready to take flight for the 2026 volleyball season.
“It’s a new year, a new season, and a new team for us — with eight returners — but our expectations remain just as high as ever. We’re excited about the group we have and the potential they bring,” Lady Cardinals Head Coach Kayley Johns said. “Our motto this season is ‘No Limits’, and that mindset will drive everything we do—from practice to game day.”
Of those eight returners four of them are seniors, and Johns said they have already been stepping up and taking on leadership roles. Johns also said there are several players fans should look out for this season.
Junior outside hitter Harper Gerik, junior middle blocker Logan Glueck, senior setter Riley Kainer, sophomore setter and right-side hitter Lucy Schobel, and senior libero Mary Fitzgerald are all players that will be leaned on to make a positive impact this season. Johns loves her upperclassmen leaders and impact players but thinks that she has a deep roster and anyone on the team can step up this season. “The truth is I feel that we have a very solid team, and we are fortunate that any of our 12 players could step up at any time and make a big impact,” Johns said.
The Lady Cardinals will have a challenging year stepping into a new district but Johns said they are not circling any games in particular and treating every game with the utmost importance.
“We’ve talked a lot as a team about our goals this season, and one of our biggest focuses is on us. We don’t want to get caught up in overthinking any particular opponent or circling games on the schedule,” Johns said. “Every match is important for our growth, and our mindset is to take it one game at a time.”
The Columbus Lady Cardinals opened their season on Tuesday, Aug. 28, with a win over El Campo in three straight sets and they will look to build on that victory to stack even more wins early in the season.
