The Basics 
The Drake volleyball team begins is 2026 season this weekend as it hosts the Drake Invitational from its home court, the Knapp Center, in Des Moines, Iowa. The Bulldogs will go up against DePaul, Milwaukee, and South Dakota during the tournament. Drake begins with South Dakota on Friday night and then comes back with a doubleheader against DePaul and Milwaukee on Saturday.
  
Bulldogs by the Numbers 
The Bulldogs are coming off a 2025 season where they advanced to the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament championship match and finished with an overall record of 18-12, while going 12-4 in league play.
 
Drake was voted No. 2 in the Missouri Valley Conference Preseason Poll having received one first place vote and 96 total points. In-state rival UNI was voted No. 1 with nine first place votes and 119 total points. The 2026 Drake Volleyball roster features 10 upperclassmen (seven juniors, three seniors) and nine underclassmen (five freshmen, four sophomores). Among the 19 players, nine of them return from the 2025 squad with 10 newcomers (five freshmen, five transfers) coming into the fold. Key returners for the Bulldogs include a pair of Middle Blockers in junior Bliss Beck and 5th year senior Aniyah Davis. Beck comes into 2026 ranking second all-time in career hitting percentage (.338) and ninth all-time in career total blocks (235).
 
Returning Drake Leaders (2025 Stats)
Kills | Caroline Smith – 244, Bliss Beck – 191, Aniyah Davis – 112
Assists | Katie Quick – 536, Carolyn Maser – 76
Digs | Katie Quick – 183, Caroline Smith – 82, Aniyah Davis – 39
Blocks | Bliss Beck – 123, Aniyah Davis – 110, Caroline Smith – 60
Service Aces | Katie Quick – 19, Aniyah Davis – 11
 
Scouting South Dakota
Following a 20-9 overall record and 12-4 mark in the Summit League in 2025, South Dakota was picked T-2nd in the Summit League Volleyball Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Coyotes return 92.3% of their points, 93.8% of kills and 97.8% of their blocks from 2025, highlighted by senior setter Avery Van Hook and junior outside hitter Lauren Medeck who were tabbed as players to watch by the Summit League.
 
Drake is 3-6 all-time against South Dakota. The Bulldogs and Coyotes have met for three consecutive years with South Dakota winning in 2024 and 2025, while Drake's last victory came in 2023.
 
Returning South Dakota Leaders (2025 Stats)
Kills | Lauren Medeck – 345, Ava Ball – 258, Amanda Loschen – 249
Assists | Avery Van Hook – 1153
Digs | Avery Van Hook – 358, Sierra Pokharel – 240, Lauren Medeck – 239
Blocks | Morgan Bode – 110, Amanda Loschen – 96, Audrey Nelson – 78
Service Aces | Samantha Untiedt – 34, Sierra Pokharel – 32, Morgan Bode – 21
 
Scouting North Texas 
DePaul was picked to finish fifth in the BIG EAST in the preseason coaches' poll and went 14-13 with a league mark of 7-9 in 2025. The Blue Demons welcome back 13 returners from 2025 and welcome in five newcomers to the fold this fall. Highlighting the DePaul roster is sophomore outside hitter Kendall Timme, who was the BIG EAST Freshman of the Year last season.
 
The Bulldogs have an all-time record of 2-6 against DePaul, but have won the previous two meetings with the last match played in 2023 from Des Moines, which was a 3-0 sweep by Drake.
 
Returning DePaul Leaders (2025 Stats)
Kills | Kendall Timme – 301, Morgan Stewart – 257, Jade Dudley-Epps – 209
Assists | Amanda Saeger – 893, Arden Billingsley – 146
Digs | Eva Hurrle – 369, Abby Cahill – 208, Kendall Timme – 199
Blocks | Jade Dudley-Epps – 119, Morgan Stewart – 41
Service Aces | Morgan Stewart – 35, Kendall Timme – 32, Eva Hurrle – 30
 
Scouting Milwaukee
Milwaukee was picked to finish fourth in the 2026 Horizon League Volleyball Preseason Poll and posted an 11-7 Horizon League record last season with an overall record of 11-21. Sophomore Josie Noble returns for the Panthers after earning both Horizon League All-Freshman Team and All-League Second Team honors in 2025. Milwaukee also returns starters Bella Lipski, Kati Goba and Ella Schuetz to its roster.
 
The all-time series between Drake and Milwaukee is deadlocked at 4-4. The Bulldogs have lost four-straight against Milwaukee, however, having last met in 2019. 
 
Returning Milwaukee Leaders (2025 Stats)
Kills | Josie Noble – 233, Ella Schuetz – 210, Bella Lipski – 196
Assists | Milica Tomic – 451, Kati Goba – 69
Digs | Ella Schuetz – 200, Kati Goba – 179, Milica Tomic – 177
Blocks | Josie Noble – 118, Bella Lipski – 86, Annie Eschenbach – 57
Service Aces | Kati Goba – 22, Ella Schuetz – 20, Josei Noble – 20
 
Up Next 
The Bulldogs will travel to Manhattan, Kansas for the Wildcat Classic where they will take on Cal State Northridge on Saturday, September 5 at 11 a.m. and hosts Kansas State on Sunday, September 6 at 1 p.m.