WEST HARTFORD, Conn.  –  The University of Hartford volleyball program heads into 2026 with plenty of change. The team will have a new head coach, new assistant coach and eight newcomers to the roster from 2025, however the program believes this is the change that can bring success ahead of the new year.

Last season the Hawks would finish 7-16 on the year with a 2-8 Conference of New England (CNE) record. Hartford would miss the playoffs as the team is looking to play in the postseason for the first time since 2019. 

COACHING CHANGE
On December 22, 2025 the Hawks would announce the hiring of Johan Dulfer as the next volleyball head coach. Dulfer comes in with more than two decades of collegiate coaching experience. Prior to joining the Hawks, Dulfer served as head volleyball coach at Ithaca College from 2016- 2023, where he led the Bombers to eight consecutive NCAA Tournament selections. 

Overall across 17 seasons as a head coach, Dulfer has compiled a career record of 431-173 (.714), earning seven Liberty League Coach of the Year honors and five American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Regional Coach of the Year awards.

Dulfer believes in the program he is building and thinks the team is improving every day. 

"Every day we seem to be getting better at something. And the process is really fun - everyone is really committed to making this program the championship caliber program we all think it should be. We think in small building blocks, and our conference championship tournament is circled in bright red on our calendar at the end of the year!"

Dulfer would hire Kylie Koontz as the assistant coach to the volleyball program in March of 2026 to finish the coaching staff transition ahead of 2026. Koontz had prior coaching experience with Deep Dish Volleyball in Bournemouth, England and  Lions Juniors in LaSalle, Illinois. 

As a player, Koontz competed at Minot State University where Koontz earned a full athletic scholarship and ranked among the team leaders in blocks per set while finishing second in hitting percentage. Koontz also competed internationally while studying at Bournemouth University, helping the indoor team to a Top-eight national finish and earning a silver medal on the United Kingdom Beach Tour.

Koontz is excited about the progress which she has seen so far and is ready to help rebuild the Hawks. 

"We've seen so much throughout preseason including how hard these young women work. They are genuine in their want for challenge and change. 

Joining Coach Dulfer meant that I could be a part of rebuilding this program. Coach Dulfer's vision resonated with me both from my experience as a player and what I am looking to do as a coach. Our goals for this program immediately aligned and the team bought in as soon as they stepped on the court."

READY TO COMPETE
Hartford's roster will feature 17 student-athletes in 2026 with nine returning from last year and eight fresh faces joining the team. Among the top returners are the top three point scorers in senior Jordan Murphy (East Hampton, Conn.), senior Jenna Murphy (East Hampton, Conn.) and sophomore Lauren Johnson (Fort Collins, Colo.). Ahead of the 2026 season, the program announced that Je. Murphy, junior transfer Rylee Miller (Sunriver, Ore.) and junior Andrea Martir-Perez (Bristol, Conn.) as the team captains for the year. 

Je. Murphy appeared in 22 matches for the Hawks in 2025 providing a strong presence at the net throughout the season. Jenna finished the year with 184 points, 115 kills, 20 digs, and six assists. Defensively, Murphy totaled 30 solo blocks and 78 assisted blocks. Jenna is one of two seniors on the team and is hoping to end her career with a CNE playoff berth. 

"It would mean a lot to me this season if we made a CNE playoff match. This is especially because of how hard we have all been working as a team. We've had a strong preseason so far and everyone is determined to continue getting better. We've all come into practice with a positive mindset and a willingness to challenge each other on the court and grow together. I believe we'll have a great opportunity for a strong playoff run if we continue to give our best every day and stay committed as a team! Go Hawks!"

R. Miller is one of the two transfers on the team and jumps into a huge role in her first season at Hartford. Rylee would play her sophomore season at Treasure Valley Community College, seeing action in 33 matches with 158 kills and a .215 hitting percentage. R. Miller would add 80 digs and 16 total blocks for a total of 173 points.

"My expectation for this season is to bring energy and charisma to the court, along with the drive to win. Not only do we have such a fun group of girls, but there is no shortage of talent on this team. I'm excited to join this program and be apart of the new era of Hartford Volleyball. This is only the beginning, Go Hawks!"

Martir-Perez will be looking to play a bigger role in 2026 after appearing in nine matches and 21 sets in her second season with the Hawks, serving as a defensive specialist / libero. Andrea totaled 16 digs, six blocks, three assists and two points on the year.

"Coming into this season, I'm really excited to see how we grow together as a team and build off of everything we've been working on in preseason. With so many new girls on the team the returners and I have been working hard to make them feel welcomed, which has led us to build strong connections on and off the court. I'm excited to see what we can accomplish together as in such little time we have became a family with not just ourselves but also the new coaching staff. This is a completely different journey than to the one we have had previous years and I can't wait to see what this season will bring for us. Go Hawks!"

FULL INCOMING CLASS
Libero / Defensive Specialist (3): Addison Miller (Allentown, Pa.), Arianna Mapa (San Diego, Calif.), Belen Butler (San Diego, Calif.)
Outside Hitter (3): Calla McCombs (Bloomfield, N.Y.), Mckenzie Dearborne (Houston, Texas), Rylee Miller (Sunriver, Ore.)
Setter (1): Amara Rhodes (Merced, Calif.)
Middle Blocker (1): Aribella Stephens (St. Louis, Mo.)

SEASON OUTLOOK
The Hawks will have 26 matches in the 2026 regular season. The year kicks off on September 2nd with a home match against inner-city rival the University of Saint Joseph at 6:00 PM.

The CNE slate starts on September 23rd at 6:00 PM in West Hartford against Western New England University. In total the Hawks will have 10 CNE matches as Hartford looks to make its first CNE Playoff appearance and clinch its first conference postseason berth since 2019. Hartford will take on seven non-conference teams from Connecticut in the regular season and will play a total of 20 matches in the Constitution State in 2026. 

This year all home games will be streamed on the CNE Network powered by HUDL, while other game coverage can be found on the 2026 schedule home page.

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