Following a run to the Conference Carolinas Tournament championship match last season, the North Greenville Trailblazers have been picked fourth in the 2026 Conference Carolinas Women's Volleyball Preseason Poll.
North Greenville received 180 points in voting by the league's head coaches, placing the Trailblazers just one point behind third-place UNC Pembroke. Defending tournament champion Emmanuel was picked to repeat with 216 points and 10 first-place votes, while Francis Marion finished just behind with 215 points and the remaining six first-place votes. UNC Pembroke received 181 points, while North Greenville and Converse, with 174 points, rounded out the top five.
The Trailblazers enter 2026 after finishing last season 17-14 overall and 12-8 in Conference Carolinas play. NGU made a postseason run all the way to the Conference Carolinas Tournament championship match, where the Trailblazers finished as tournament runner-up.
North Greenville will return plenty of experience from that team, with seniors Anna Fiddelke, Samantha Ball, and Allison Ball selected by Conference Carolinas as the Trailblazers' three Players to Watch. All three earned Second Team All-Conference Carolinas honors following the 2025 season.
Samantha Ball returns after leading North Greenville's offense with 389 kills and 445 total points last season. The outside hitter averaged 3.32 kills per set while adding 43 service aces. Ball was also a major contributor defensively, leading NGU with 441 digs for an average of 3.77 per set. She appeared in all 31 matches and played in all 117 sets for the Trailblazers.
Fiddelke was another major offensive presence for NGU, finishing second on the team with 277 kills and 367 points. The middle blocker led the Trailblazers with a .253 hitting percentage among the team's primary attackers and was NGU's top presence at the net, finishing the year with 100 total blocks. She also added 17 service aces while appearing in all 31 matches.
Allison Ball directed the North Greenville offense from the setter position and led the Trailblazers with 712 assists, averaging 6.09 assists per set. She also led the team with 56 service aces and contributed 262 digs, an average of 2.24 per set. Like Samantha Ball and Fiddelke, she appeared in all 117 sets during the season.
The 2026 season officially begins this morning as the Trailblazers are set to take on the Seahawks of Wilmington University as part of the Eckerd Classic Tournament in St. Petersburg, Florida.
