Volleyball Adds Four to Spring Roster

CARBONDALE, Ill. - Southern Women's Volleyball announces the additions of Alex Arrington, Paloma Gonzalez, Ella McFarland and Beatriz Piaia to the program in Spring 2026. The initial enrollees include one true freshman and three transfers.

Arrington is the true freshman hailing from Granbury, Texas. She brings a versatile skillset, having tallied 1,000 assists, digs, and kills in her high school career.

"I am so excited to finally have Alex on campus," Harry said. "I am equally pumped that Alex decided to enroll early so that she could get into the gym with us this spring. Alex is the true meaning of a Dawg; she has this refuse to lose work ethic, which she had to have in order to play both setter and middle in high school. She is a selfless kid that will do anything she can for her team, and she is going to have an incredible future here at SIU."

Accomplishments:

Newcomer of the Year
4x Academic All-District
Co-Offensive MVP
Co-MVP
TGCA All-Star Team & All-State
First-Team Academic All-State
Eighth in class for academics

Gonzalez transfers in as a sophomore, having made two previous stops in her collegiate career. An outside hitter, she collected 364 kills at Stonehill and Saint Francis.

"I am excited to add Paloma to the Saluki family," Harry said. "She has two seasons of experience under her belt playing on both pins, which will definitely add value to our program as we graduated three pins this fall. I expect for Paloma to come in and compete for playing time right away."

Accomplishments:

Played varsity all four years of high school
Most Improved Player
Played in the Texas state championship her junior and senior seasons
All-Tournament Selection at the Friar Classic in 2024 (Stonehill)
Played in the NEC Championship game in 2025 (Saint Francis)

McFarland will join the Salukis as a redshirt freshman transfer from UT Martin. The Danville, Ill., native played 14 matches for the Skyhawks in 2025, setting a collegiate career-high with 20 assists against Seton Hall at the Belmont Invitational. She also played beach volleyball for during her time in Martin.

"I am excited to add another Central Illinois kid to our roster," Harry said. "Ella is technically-sound setter that I expect to come in and compete for playing time right away. She also has experience playing beach which always helps your indoor game and overall volleyball IQ."

Accomplishments:

Four-time All-County Selection
Four-time All-Conference Selection
All-Area Selection

Rounding out the spring additions is Beatriz Piaia, who joins the Salukis after two seasons at Trinity Valley Community College. A native of Parana, Brazil, she redshirted the 2025 season but was a star middle blocker for the Cardinals as a freshman. Piaia led Region XIV and was second in all of Division I Junior College with 1.43 blocks per set. She ranked third with 160 total blocks.

"With Larissa graduating, we knew it was important to add size and strong blocking at the net, and Bia brings both," Harry noted. "She has a bubbly personality and is truly a joy to be around every day. I'm excited to have her here and look forward to seeing her continue to grow and develop."

Accomplishments:

Best Middle Blocker - Acel Chopinzinho (State Championship, Parana, Brazil)
First Team All-Conference and All Region (Region XIV)
Led Region XIV with 1.43 blocks per set (Second in Division I JUCO Volleyball)

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