CLINTON, Miss. --- The Mississippi Christian University volleyball team has completed its first week of preseason practice, with the Choctaws building chemistry and preparing for the start of the 2026 season.
 
With a mix of returning players, freshmen and transfers, the Choctaws have quickly established a strong team dynamic both on and off the court.

Senior Rhaia Davey said the team's welcoming environment has helped the newcomers transition into the program.

"I think our team has always been super welcoming," Davey said. "We've always been a super welcoming team, and so I think the freshmen are coming in great, the transfers are coming in great. We're all getting along super well, like even off the court, like we're all hanging out. It's been just a good time and it's nice to have new faces in the gym."

Junior Reese Regner echoed Davey's comments, pointing to team dinners and the relationships being formed away from the court as important parts of the preseason.

"Team dinners are super fun," Regner said. "Everyone's mixing super well and lots of laughs all around."

The Choctaws have also entered the season with goals that extend beyond their performance on the court. Senior Samarin Kipple said the team is emphasizing community service while focusing on how its players represent the program as both athletes and students.

"We started off the season with a few goals in mind," Kipple said. "We're focusing on how to serve our community this year and thinking about ways that we can commonly do that both in and outside the gym and then we're also focused on how we can play live and lead both like athletes and students."

On the court, the Choctaws are excited about the depth available across the roster. Davey said the preseason has provided an opportunity for the team to experiment with different lineups and discover how its pieces fit together.

"Preseason's always super hard," Davey said. "But I'm looking forward to just being out and playing, honestly, with our team, with the freshmen and everyone coming in. There's so much depth in every position that we have, and so I'm super excited to just get to play around with lineups and see what comes out."

That depth comes alongside a veteran core that returns from last season. According to Regner, the Choctaws did not lose a player from last year's group, giving the team an opportunity to build on the chemistry it has already developed.

"We didn't lose anyone last year, so it's really fun seeing everyone come back and basically get around with the same awesome group of girls," Regner said. "We're all really close, so I'm excited to see what else we can do and just have fun."

The Choctaws will have opportunities to test themselves early in the season, including a trip to Dallas for preseason competition before hosting a tournament of their own.

"We have a good group here and then we also have some fun matches we're going to play in," Kipple said. "We're going to Dallas for our pre-conference play and then we're also hosting a tournament here. So we're super excited just to get at it and start traveling and put into action what we've been practicing this preseason."

With the first week of practice in the books, Mississippi Christian will continue preparations for the 2026 season, with the Choctaws looking to translate their early chemistry, depth and preseason work into success once competition begins.

MC opens the season on Friday, Aug. 28 in Dallas, Texas at the Dallas Classic on the campus of DBU.