A wave of new talent is reshaping Pacific volleyball this fall.
 
"I'm excited for a fresh start," said Rachel Renville, who enters her second season as Pacific's head coach. "We have a really great set of returners and then a bunch of new blood coming in. They bring a joy for the game that's really going to elevate them."
 
The Boxers have 10 new players on their varsity roster, including eight freshmen. 
 
"They're a group of women that love to compete," Renville said. "They love to go hard in the gym and as soon as that ball is dead, they are joking with one another and laughing about what's happening. And then they reset and are ready to compete again."
 
Pacific returns one All-Northwest Conference player in senior outside hitter Emma Velchek. A Third Team selection, Velchek recorded 189 kills, 38 aces and 174 digs last season. She finished third in the NWC with 3.57 points per set and ninth in kills per set at 2.78.
 
"I asked her [Velchek] to carry a really large load on the team and in some ways I expect her to do the same this year, but I think she's going to have a lot more support," Renville said. "I think she's going to kill it, but I hope this year she has a lot more fun and just finds the joy of the game."
 
Renville has also been impressed with seniors McKenzie Uyehara and Hannah Carlson.
 
"Kenzie's serve receive looks amazing right now and the way she's communicating with her hitters, I'm really impressed by that," Renville said. "Hannah Carlson is going back to the right side and I think she's really comfortable there and I think her level of play is elevated."
 
Another senior, Jersey Villanueva, is returning to the court after missing her entire junior season with a torn ACL. Villanueva is also changing positions, moving from a middle to a defensive specialist. 

 "The way that she (Villanueva) has embraced that and really dug into her role, going from a middle that never passes to a DS, she's really, really killing it," Renville said. "And I'm so proud of her."
 
The Boxers open the 2026 season on Friday, September 4 in the Puget Sound Premier. Pacific's first opponent is Wisconsin-Oshkosh – the 2025 NCAA Division III champions, who are ranked No. 1 in the preseason AVCA Coaches Poll. 
 
"My goals for the games before conference is just to have them be completely prepared for conference," Renville said. "I want them to think that these are the hardest games we will see all year so once we hit conference play, we've seen it all and we're ready to go."
 
The Boxers then host Azusa Pacific and Hamline on Saturday, September 5 in the annual Oregon Trail Classic. 
 
"Historically, volleyball has always been a fun sport to watch," Renville said. "This group is finding a love for the game in a new way here and it's going to be a fun year for them."

For the latest information on Pacific Athletics, make sure to check out GoBoxers.com. You can also find the Boxers on social media at @GoBoxers on Instagram and Twitter.
 
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