IMMACULATA, Pa. – With September about to begin, Immaculata women's volleyball is preparing to begin their 2026 schedule. This season is the team's second under head coach Mary Kirchner.

The Mighty Macs were 11-17 (4-3 AEC) in Kirchner's first year in command, but they were voted second in the conference preseason poll for 2026. Immaculata got 20 votes and one first-place vote, only behind Marymount.

The Schedule

Up first on the docket for the Mighty Macs is a road contest at Delaware Valley on Tuesday, Sept. 1. After the DeSales Invitational over Labor Day Weekend, Immaculata hosts its first two home matches against Neumann and Penn State Abington. The Mighty Macs will play three tri-matches throughout September at York (Pa.), Ursinus, and Washington College. The month ends with a visit to Bryn Mawr on Sept. 30.

Penn State Schuylkill hosts Immaculata to introduce October. The Mighty Macs open AEC play on the 17^th at home versus Saint Elizabeth. They host their lone doubleheader of the year on Oct. 24 when Gwynedd Mercy and Central Pennsylvania come to Alumnae Hall. The regular season concludes with a match at Saint Elizabeth in early November.

Conference playoffs run from Nov. 10-14.

Roster Check

Out of 16 players, Immaculata returns nine to the 2026 roster: Alayah Phifer, Eliana Szatkowski, Lauren Gartman, Cianni Baez, Adriana Ventura, Kamila Perez Vega, Angelica Santini Bulerin, Antonia Antolini, and Adriana Blas.

Out of the returners, Antolini led the team in kills (84) and total blocks (50 / 13 solo, 37 assisted). Santini Bulerin had team-highs of 626 assists and 44 aces. Ventura had 387 digs.

Welcome to the Team

Immaculata women's volleyball is welcoming five first-years to the team in 2026: Lucy Copeland, Vienna Mascieri, Sophia Banach, Madi Kyle, and Tara Hirschtritt. Addison Cummings is also a new member as a sophomore. Mel Mann, who played in 2024 as a first-year, returns to the lineup after not playing in 2025.

The newcomers hail from a variety of locations: Pennsylvania (Hirschtritt), New Jersey (Mascieri, Banach), Delaware (Copeland), and West Virginia (Kyle).

Season Outlook

With the Atlantic East Conference (AEC) going from eight teams to six over the summer, with Neumann and Marywood going to the MAC Commonwealth and MAC Freedom, respectively, Immaculata is aiming to make a deep playoff run in November.

To see the entire 2026 schedule, click here.

To see the conference press release, click the "AEC Press Release" link.