The University of Findlay women’s volleyball team opens the postseason Tuesday, Nov. 10, riding the hottest streak in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference. The Oilers (18-8, 13-2 G-MAC) enter the 2026 G-MAC Volleyball Championship as North Division champions and the No. 2 seed, hosting seventh-seeded Tiffin in a quarterfinal at Findlay, according to the University of Findlay’s tournament preview.
Findlay has beaten Tiffin twice already this season, 3-0 and 3-1, per the university’s preview. A win Tuesday sends the Oilers to the semifinals on Friday, Nov. 13, against the winner of No. 3 Cedarville and No. 6 Walsh, with the semifinal and championship rounds hosted by the highest remaining seed. The championship match is set for Saturday, Nov. 14.
The Oilers’ late-season surge is the story of their year. After opening 10-8, Findlay found its turning point at the Midwest Region Crossover, where it swept No. 22 Indianapolis in straight sets — the start of the current eight-match winning streak the Oilers carry into the tournament, according to the university. They have not lost since, and they clinched the G-MAC North Division title along the way.
Senior Hannah Miller, a Tiffin native, leads the attack — fittingly, against her hometown school. Miller leads the conference in both total kills and kills per set, with 405 kills at 4.18 per set, and her 1,448 career kills rank seventh in program history, 118 behind assistant coach Hannah Tong, the university’s preview said. Miller also leads Findlay with 343 digs and has earned G-MAC North Division Athlete of the Week honors four times this season, including three straight weeks.
She is not carrying the offense alone. Lauren Foerster has 220 kills at a .264 hitting percentage, and Stephanie Smith has 217 kills at 3.10 per set, according to the university. Senior Zoya Winkelfoos directs the offense with 700 assists, sixth in the G-MAC, and freshman libero Claire Schoenberger has recorded 267 digs across 97 of the team’s 98 sets. At the net, Victoria Mescher leads Findlay with 77 blocks, and Mescher and Miller share the team lead with 36 service aces apiece — Findlay’s 191 aces rank second in the conference.
The bracket around Findlay is deep. Top-seeded Ashland enters 21-5, defending champion Ohio Dominican — which beat Cedarville last year for the first G-MAC tournament title in its program history — is the No. 4 seed at 21-7, and historically Hillsdale leads the conference with seven tournament titles and Cedarville holds four, per the university’s preview. This is the 15th edition of the championship.
Findlay knows the top of this tournament well: the Oilers are looking to capture their second G-MAC Tournament Championship in three years, according to the university. Tuesday’s quarterfinal is also a home date — tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students, seniors and military, with G-MAC students admitted free with ID and no cash accepted on site; all tournament matches stream on FloCollege, the university said.
The rest of Tuesday’s quarterfinal card, per the university’s preview: No. 1 Ashland (21-5, 15-1 G-MAC) hosts No. 8 Northwood (9-17, 7-8); No. 4 Ohio Dominican (21-7, 11-4) hosts No. 5 Hillsdale (15-12, 10-5); and No. 3 Cedarville (16-10, 12-3) hosts No. 6 Walsh (14-15, 10-6), with Findlay awaiting the Cedarville-Walsh winner if it gets past Tiffin. Every quarterfinal is hosted by the higher seed.
Findlay is one of several northwest Ohio college teams in action this week — our coverage of the region’s college scene includes Bowling Green Hosts Cleveland State Monday in Home Opener After 1,500th Win and Strong, Montas Each Score 20 as Toledo Rallies Past Marshall 81-76 for First Win.
What we know — and what we’re still waiting on
What we know: Findlay’s seed, record, quarterfinal opponent and path are set, and the Oilers’ eight-match winning streak and Miller’s conference-leading numbers are in the books, per the University of Findlay. What we’re still waiting on: Tuesday’s result itself — this is a preview, and no match has been played yet — and, if Findlay advances, where the semifinal round lands, since it follows the highest remaining seed.
What happens next is Tuesday night in Findlay: a quarterfinal against a crosstown rival the Oilers have already beaten twice, with a semifinal berth and a run at a second conference tournament title in three years on the line.
Photo: MrJacon000, CC BY-SA