Volleyball Team Preps for Upcoming Season

Edison State Community College's volleyball team will kick off the 2025-26 athletics seasons on Friday, August 22. The Lady Chargers have worked hard to prepare for the season.

Head Coach Julia Brandewie is leading the Lady Chargers for the eighth season. Formerly serving two seasons under Shelby Pitsenbarger as an assistant coach, Brandewie brings many years of experience as a coach and player to Edison State's volleyball program.

Before joining the coaching staff at Edison State, Brandewie had a successful career on the court. In 2006, Brandewie was part of her high school's Division II State Championship team. Since then, she has competed internationally with Premier Volleyball Academy; played for Owens Community College, where she holds the record for 10th overall career kills; and received numerous accolades while finishing her college career at Siena Heights University.

The Lady Chargers returned to the court with eight sophomores and two incoming freshmen.

"I'm looking forward to this season, which is shaping up to what I think will be one of our best seasons yet," said Brandewie. "We're bringing back eight very experienced sophomore players who have definitely grown and improved over the last year. They're all fantastic leaders on the court and have worked hard over the last year."

She added, "We also have two talented incoming freshmen players in Lily Riegel and Kiley Green. I think they both have a lot to contribute to the team and am excited to see them compete in games. We also picked up a transfer student from Clark State, Bailey Poppe, who was the OCCAC Player of the Year last season, and I think she will make a big impact on our team as well. Overall, I feel we have the right players in place to win the OCCAC title this season."

The team will travel to Rockford, Illinois, for an opening weekend tournament on Friday, August 22, and Saturday, August 23. Their regular season kicks off Wednesday, August 27, at home, when the Lady Chargers face Terra State in a conference matchup.

Edison State's volleyball team competes in the Ohio Community College Athletic Conference and as a Division II member of the National Junior College Athletic Association. Visit athletics.edisonohio.edu for the latest news, upcoming games, and complete rosters.