Glover, Catamount Volleyball Add Pair of Transfers for 2026

1/8/2026 5:00:00 PM

By: Greg Hartlage, Director of Media Relations

Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina head volleyball coach Karen Glover finalized her 2026 roster with a pair of transfers, adding middle blocker Brookelyn Nance (Gardner-Webb) and Sophia Marini (Daytona State), as both are set to join WCU for the spring semester in advance of the 2026 season. Nance will have three years of eligibility with the Catamounts, as Marini has two years with WCU.

Marini and Nance join a quartet of student-athletes who will join the program in the fall of 2026 in setter Leilani Ramos (Jupiter, Fla.), outside hitter Taylor Baggett (Fayetteville, N.C.), middle blocker Aiyana Harris (Mansfield, Texas), and outside hitter Ashlyn Cobb (Delray Beach, Fla.), who each signed back in November to join the Catamounts.

Sophia Marini – 6-0 – RS – Daytona State / Hagerty HS / Oviedo, Fla.
Marini comes to Cullowhee after spending the past two seasons at Daytona State in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA). The Oviedo, Fla. native appeared in 45 matches totaling 156 sets over two years at Daytona State. During her two years with the Falcons, she totaled 246 kills, ranking third on the team last season with 152. She finished with a single-game, season-best 11 kills against Polk State (Sept. 27) and 10 vs Salt Lake CC (Aug. 29).

Marini contributed on defense with 65 blocks over her two seasons, including 44 in 2025. She garnered FCSAA All-Tournament team honors from the conference in 2025 after a standout performance in a pair of tourney matchups with 10 kills, five blocks, and four digs over seven sets. She also received "Battle at the Beach" all-tournament honors during the opening weekend for Daytona State, as she contributed on both ends of the stat sheet.

Brookelyn Nance – 6-2 – MB – Gardner-Webb / Hickory Ridge HS / Hickory, N.C.
Nance joins the WCU family after spending her debut collegiate season at Gardner-Webb out of the Big South Conference. A product of Hickory, N.C., Nance comes to the Catamounts after totaling 113 kills spanning 75 sets throughout 22 matches in 2025 with the Runnin' Bulldogs. Nance totaled a season-high 10 kills against Norfolk State during the early part of the season, as she had five matches posting over a .300 hitting percentage.

On the defensive end, Nance helped lead Gardner-Webb to the second-best blocking team in the Big South, finishing with 67 rejections. Before her stop in Boiling Springs, she was an all-conference selection at Hickory Ridge High as a prep senior, surpassing 200 kills in both her junior (293) and senior (234) seasons. She played club volleyball for Carolina Juniors.

Keep track of everything related to Catamount volleyball and WCU Athletics through its social media outlets on Facebook (fb.com/catamountsports), Instagram (@wcu_catamounts, @catamountvb), and Twitter (@catamounts, @catamountvb).

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