Southern Illinoise University Athletics
New Transfers to Saluki Volleyball Fall 2026- Ida Almkvist and Valentina Zevallos
Photo by: Saluki Athletic Communications
Salukis Welcome Two New Transfers to the Fall 2026 Roster
03/24/2026 | 3:41:00 | Women's Volleyball
CARBONDALE, Ill. — Southern Illinois women's volleyball announces the additions of transfers Ida Almkvist and Valentina Zevallos to the program in fall 2026.
Zevallos hails from Lima, Peru. She played at Colegio Reina De Los Angeles in high school and is transferring from Florida Southwestern State College. Head coach Brittany Harry expects an immediate impact from the 6-foot transfer.
"Vale is a winner through and through, she has experience playing for the U19/20 Peruvian junior national teams as a middle, as well as winning the NJCAA Division I Championship during her time at Florida Southwestern in 2024 and finishing at the national runner-up in 2025. She brings a spunky personality to the court and she loves to compete. With Larissa (Seger) graduating, it was important for us to bring some experience to the middle position and Vale brings that to the table. She will compete right away for playing time, and we see her having a huge impact on the court for SIU volleyball."
Accomplishments:
"We are so excited to add Ida to our Saluki volleyball family. From the moment she steps onto the court, you can tell she is from a volleyball family because her on-court IQ is so good. She can play both pins, but we are excited for her to train as a 6-rotation outside. She has a full offensive toolbox to score in a lot of ways and she also brings this calm presence with her that everyone can gel with. Much like Vale, she has played for the Swedish youth national team since she was 13 years old. She will be someone who has an immediate impact for us this fall."
Accomplishments:
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Salukis by following the team on X (@SIU_Volleyball), Instagram (@SIU_Volleyball) and Facebook (SalukiVolleyball). Fans can also download the "Salukis" mobile app on the App Store or Google Play Store.
Zevallos hails from Lima, Peru. She played at Colegio Reina De Los Angeles in high school and is transferring from Florida Southwestern State College. Head coach Brittany Harry expects an immediate impact from the 6-foot transfer.
"Vale is a winner through and through, she has experience playing for the U19/20 Peruvian junior national teams as a middle, as well as winning the NJCAA Division I Championship during her time at Florida Southwestern in 2024 and finishing at the national runner-up in 2025. She brings a spunky personality to the court and she loves to compete. With Larissa (Seger) graduating, it was important for us to bring some experience to the middle position and Vale brings that to the table. She will compete right away for playing time, and we see her having a huge impact on the court for SIU volleyball."
Accomplishments:
- Fall 2025 Florida Southwestern State College Dean's List
- NJCAA Division I National runner-up 2025/26
- Atlantic District B Champion 2025/26
- NJCAA Division I National Champion 2024/25
- Atlantic District A Champion 2024/25
- FCSAA State Champion 2024/25
- Citrus Conference Champion 2024/25
"We are so excited to add Ida to our Saluki volleyball family. From the moment she steps onto the court, you can tell she is from a volleyball family because her on-court IQ is so good. She can play both pins, but we are excited for her to train as a 6-rotation outside. She has a full offensive toolbox to score in a lot of ways and she also brings this calm presence with her that everyone can gel with. Much like Vale, she has played for the Swedish youth national team since she was 13 years old. She will be someone who has an immediate impact for us this fall."
Accomplishments:
- U19 NEVZA Championship bronze (2022)
- U19 Swedish Beach Championship silver (2022)
- U19 NEVZA Championship gold (2023)
- U20 Swedish Championship silver (2023)
- 2024-25 FCSAA All-Academic First Team
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Salukis by following the team on X (@SIU_Volleyball), Instagram (@SIU_Volleyball) and Facebook (SalukiVolleyball). Fans can also download the "Salukis" mobile app on the App Store or Google Play Store.
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