The first weekend of the 2026 season was a rousing success for the Ashland University volleyball team, as a perfect 3-0 mark at the Findlay Classic was punctuated by a 3-0 (25-22, 25-16, 26-24) win over the host Oilers on Saturday (Aug. 29) afternoon.
 
Saturday's match – the Eagles' first win over the Oilers (2-2) since Oct. 7, 2022 at the Sherrill Hudson Court at Kates Gymnasium – is not part of the 2026 Great Midwest Athletic Conference schedule.
 
Ashland's 3-0 beginning to the new season is its second in a row, it is the Eagles' first time winning at least nine of their first 10 sets since the COVID-19-forced spring 2021 campaign, and head coach Alicia Wood is the third consecutive AU volleyball leader to start their tenure with wins in each of the first three matches.
 
The Eagles hit .305 on the weekend, and .317 on Saturday. Sophomore outside hitter Jenna Shedden paced AU with 17 kills while hitting .371 against the Oilers, and had a team-best 49 kills on the Classic.

Shedden was named the Classic's Most Valuable Player, and junior middle blocker Myia Etzler joined Shedden on the all-tournament team.
 
Senior setter Kylee Urban picked up 20 assists, two service aces and eight digs, senior libero Abbey Queen led the Ashland defense with a dozen digs, and junior middle blocker Livi Miller added six total blocks (four assists).
 
Ashland's defense improved as the tourney progressed, going from a .267 opponents' hitting percentage vs. Davenport to .189 vs. California (Pa.) to .155 against Findlay.
 
The Eagles will travel to a second consecutive road tournament on Friday and Saturday (Sept. 4-5), playing three matches at the Indiana (Pa.) Crimson Hawk Classic.