WAYNESBURG, Pa. (August 31) – A new season brings a new energy for the Waynesburg University volleyball team. The 2026 Yellow Jackets are looking to move up the standings in the Presidents' Athletic Conference under head coach Hope Johnston, who enters her third season at Waynesburg.

2025 Season in Review

Waynesburg finished last season with a 2-25 record (0-16 in the PAC) and were led by senior right side hitter Kristina Zadrozny (McDonald, Pa. / West Allegheny), who represented the Yellow Jackets as an honorable mention All-PAC pick.

Key Returners

Waynesburg welcomes back two of their top four hitters in Zadrozny and sophomore right side hitter Mallory Boyd (Columbus, Ohio / West Jefferson).
 
"Kristina is a great athlete and has been able to develop new skills even as a seasoned volleyball player at the end of her career," Johnston said. "She will be training in the back row as well as at the net, so that she can contribute to both our offense and defense in a dynamic way this season."
 
Zadrozny led the team in kills and points for the second-straight season with 244 kills and 265.5 points. She also led the Yellow Jackets in points per set with 2.95, kills per set with 2.71 and a hitting percentage of .164. On the defensive side of things, Zadrozny finished third on the team in blocks with 22. The left-handed hitter recorded 14 double-digit kill outings and set season highs with 16.5 points and 15 kills against Bethany.
 
Boyd finished fourth on the team in kills with 74 over 58 sets spread over 20 matches. Boyd finished third on the team in service aces with 11, kills per set at 1.28 and in assists with 45. On defense, Boyd totaled 106 digs, including a 16-dig performance in the win over La Roche.
 
Senior middle hitter Audrey Work (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Baldwin) finished second on the team in blocks with 23 as well as a .102 hitting percentage. She was fourth on the squad in points with 97.5 and fifth on the team in kills with 70. Work's breakout performance came against Allegheny, where she finished with nine kills, four digs and two blocks. She enters the season as team captain of the Yellow Jackets.
 
"She is a middle blocker and has been working hard to become a greater offensive and defensive force at the net as well as being our leader this year on and off the court," Johnston said.
 
Senior setter Ray Baniaga (Kalihi, Hi. / Sacred Hearts) finished second on the team in assists with 181, second in terms of 2.45 assists per set and third on the team in service aces with 11. Baniaga logged a career-best 26 assists to go along with nine digs and a service ace in the win over La Roche.
 
Senior defensive specialist Peyton Kuhns (Canonsburg, Pa. / Canon-McMillan) saw the court in 31 sets during 13 matches played. The veteran totaled 46 digs last season, eight of which came along with a service ace against Grove City.
 
Sophomore libero Eliana Thornton (Morgantown, W.Va. / Morgantown) finished with 65 digs, 12 assists and 10 service aces in her debut collegiate season. Thornton recorded six service aces, six digs and a kill against Bethany.

Newcomers

The Yellow Jackets add a dozen freshmen and one transfer for the 2026 season.
 
"The incoming class has great talent and experience," Johnston said. "They are an incredibly coachable group of players and have been able to jump right in with the upperclassmen to start building connections on and off the court."

Looking at the Schedule

Much like last season when the PAC saw Hiram become a full-time member, Saint Francis comes to the conference in transition to becoming a full-time member. With 13 teams, the league has gotten rid of its two six-team division format.
 
The Yellow Jackets will play every league opponent one time over the course of the season, with road trips to Chatham, Grove City, Franciscan, Allegheny, Washington & Jefferson and Geneva. The Jackets will take on Saint Francis, Thiel, Westminster, Bethany, Hiram and Saint Vincent at the Rudy Marisa Fieldhouse.
 
Waynesburg plays in two early-season tournaments this season: the schedule-opening Vicki Staton Memorial Tournament at Washington & Jefferson on Sept. 4-5, and the Grove City Invitational on Sept. 18-19. The Jackets' first home match comes on Wednesday, Sept. 23, against Saint Francis.

Last Word

"I expect us to get some wins under our belt and be competitive in the PAC," Johnston said. "Success will look like us competing our best through the entire season regardless of any setbacks that we face."  

BONUS: Click on this link to hear Coach Johnston and Kristina Zadrozny's preseason interview.