Riverdale, NY - The University of Mount Saint Vincent's women's volleyball program continues to trend in the right direction – and their newest crop of talents are ready to bring them to new heights.

Head Coach Joe Chojnacki has revealed five new Dolphins who are set to compliment the program's current roster, with the hopes of returning to the Skyline Conference Postseason Tournament for the first time since 2021, when they defeated Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh before advancing to the semifinal round.

"I'm very excited to welcome the 2026 recruiting class to the Dolphin family.  All five of these players are going to make an immediate impact on our program and I'm really looking forward to working with them," Chojnacki told UMSVAthletics.com. "Each one of them addresses specific needs we had to fill from the players that we lost, most importantly in the front row.  Another thing that is great about this group is almost all of them are versatile players that can play multiple positions for us.  We talked with them a lot about the change in our culture that we are trying to make and they are all 100% on board."   
 
Chojnacki hit both sides of the country for his new talent, with four coming from New York State, while the fifth makes her way across the country from California.
 
The lone West Coast native, Angelia Donnelly, is set to join second year standout Stephanie Rodriguez at the setter position. The Panorama City native is known for her dedication and intellect both on and off the floor. "Angelia is fantastic player with a great work ethic and volleyball IQ," Chojnacki said. "She's very smart, knows how to run an offense and will give us much needed depth at the setter position."

Evelyn Starns, a 6'1" talent from Painted Post, New York, comes right out of Coach Chojnacki's versatile playbook. She is expected to play multiple positions for the Dolphins, including right side as well as joining Donnelly and Rodriguez at setter. "Evelyn is a tall, athletic player that can set and hit so we're excited she committed to us.  Wonderful attitude and great communicator. She also had multiple offers, so we're happy she's a Dolphin."   

Chojnacki set his sights on bringing in additional talent to the front row, and did so with the recruitment of both Christana Estinval and Slyvia Kay. The pair is set to join Sophia Mandalakis, Anna Nolasco, Dominique Otranto and Alyssa Padgett as the Dolphins look to revamp their hitting. She is another versatile player that can play multiple front row spots for us, Chojnacki said of Estinval. "Her ability makes her a unique talent that can really be a weapon for us." On Kay, Chojnacki continued, "She's another solid, versatile player that can fill multiple front row spots and is a smart, experienced player with good volleyball IQ.  She has a strong work ethic and had multiple options elsewhere, so we're happy she chose us."

The final piece to the 2026 puzzle is Amya Aviles, who Chojnacki believes will be able to do a little bit of everything for the Dolphins. "Amya is a very versatile player that can play multiple positions for us. She played for Downstate, which is one of the best clubs in the area and really trains their players well."

The five newest members of the team joined the aforementioned talent, in addition to key returners Jessica Broderick, Olivia Dutzer, Gabrielle Mills, Carly Synder and Paige Staley as the team looks to improve their nine-win campaign from a year ago.