GREAT FALLS, Mont. – The University of Providence women's volleyball team heads to the Paradise Volleyball Classic on Aug. 14-15 in Oahu, Hawaii for the season opener.

The Argos were ranked #6 in the NAIA Preseason Top 25 Coaches Poll and were picked to finish first in the Frontier Conference ahead of 2025 Frontier Conference Runner-Up #8 Bellevue. #6 is the highest preseason ranking in program history with the Argos being ranked #10 in both 2025 and 2022. 

Head coach Arunas Duda is entering his 23rd season at the helm of the program that has won back-to-back Frontier Conference regular season and tournament championships and 10 top 25 finishes.

The 2026 University of Providence team has many impactful returners including 2025 First Team All-American Cabry Badley who tallied 271 kills and 137 blocks while hitting .311. UP also returns second team All-Conference honoree Kyra Saiers who led the team in digs and has the third most digs of returners in the NAIA. The Argos also welcome back starters Martyna Fiedler who was named honorable-mention all-conference after tallying 281 kills and senior Ellie Carlson who tallied 307 digs.

With the departure of NAIA Setter of the Year Bella Thompson and three-time All-American Sadie Giles, the Argos also have a few new faces in Addison Hinckley who was an NJCAA First Team All-American at Eastern Arizona, Kendall Picolet who was a first team All-Region selection at Iowa Western, and freshman Bree MacDonald who was second team All-Conference at Great Falls High School.

The Argos will face Indiana Tech and #12 Oklahoma Wesleyan on Friday prior to facing Doane University on Saturday in Oahu, Hawaii at the Shark Tank.