Buckeyes Open 2026 Season with Inaugural Jim Stone Challenge
8/26/2026 11:23:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State women's volleyball team opens its 2026 slate this weekend as the Buckeyes host the inaugural Jim Stone Challenge in the Covelli Center Friday, Aug. 28-Sunday, Aug. 30.
Match and Ticket Information
Match and Ticket Information
- The Buckeyes will face Bowling Green at 6 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 28, Fresno State on Saturday, Aug. 29 at 4 p.m. and Northern Kentucky on Sunday, Aug. 30 at 2 p.m. The full tournament schedule can be found HERE.
- All matches will be streamed on B1G+.
- The Buckeyes will celebrate Alumni Weekend, with multiple recognitions of former teams and players during the weekend. Friday, there will be a pre-match block party. Saturday will include recognition of Jim Stone and his legacy on the Ohio State program. Sunday will feature a post-match meet and greet with the Ohio State team.
- Tickets for the 2026 season are now on sale with links for season tickets and single match tickets found below. Ohio State students receive free admission to regular season home matches with a valid BuckID. For more ticket information, be sure to contact the Ohio State Athletics Ticket Office by calling 1-800-GOBUCKS or emailing athletic.tix@osu.edu.
- Season Tickets
- Single Match Tickets
- Group (10+) Tickets
- The Buckeyes officially kicked off 2026 at the fifth annual Big Ten Media Day in Chicago on Aug. 3. Ohio State was represented by head coach Jen Flynn Oldenburg, and outside hitters Na'vea Gauthier and Hannah Jones.
- Jones played in 100 sets during her junior season in 2025. Shre ranked 13th in the Big Ten at the end of the regular season in kills per set with 3.42. She recorded a career-high 26 kills twice, first against Miami (OH) on Sept. 3 and again against Troy on Sept. 21. Jones had 20 or more kills in three matches and had 10 or more kills in 16 matches.
- As a freshman in 2025, Gauthier played in 63 sets and averaged 1.97 kills per set. She recorded 10 or more kills in six matches and had a career-high 15 kills against Rutgers on Nov. 9 and again against Michigan State on Nov. 23.
- Other returning Buckeyes include setter Mia Tuman, outside hitter Mina Gunes, defensive specialist Mia Stahler and setter Abby Yoder.
- Tuman played in all 107 sets in 2025 and led the Buckeyes with 8.67 assists per set. She is 10th in program history with 2,949 career assists. Gunes played in 34 sets and averaged 1.59 kills per set. Stahler played in 104 sets and had 1.53 digs per set. Yoder appeared in 56 sets and notched nine service aces.
- The Ohio State squad features multiple new faces to keep an eye on in 2026.
- Dubbed the "French Connection" by Oldenburg, Naomy Govou and Kalli Jioshvili-Ravva grew up playing with and against each other in France. Govou, a junior outside hitter, is a member of the French National Team, with which she competed in the 2025 World University Championship. Jioshvili-Ravva is a sophomore outside hitter who player her freshman season at Texas Tech. She led the Red Raiders in kills (303), attempts (909) and points (335.5) and was second on the team in digs (222).
- Freshman libero Emily Avshalomov joins the Buckeyes after two years of military service in Israel. She played for Maccabi Hadera Volleyball Club and with the team, she reached the Israel Premier League final for the first time in club history.
- Middles Alia Schoonover and Aneta Valentová are expected to be major contributors this season. Schoonover attended Buckeye Valley in Delaware, Ohio where she was the four-time Offensive Player of the Year. She was a two-time AAU national champion with Mintonette. Valentová, from the Czech Republic, competed in the Czech Cup twice, earning a medal in 2025-25. She has represented the Czech Republic at the European Championships.
- Read more about the transfers HERE and the freshmen HERE.
- The Big Ten announced the creation of the 2026 Big Ten Volleyball Tournament. The tournament will feature 15 teams and take place at the Fishers Event Center in Fishers, Ind. Friday, Nov. 20 through Wednesday, Nov. 25. With the addition of the tournament, the conference season has been adjusted to 17 matches, and each team will play once.
- Jim Stone, the all-time leader in coaching wins for the Ohio State women's volleyball program, passed away on Tuesday, March 10 after a courageous battle with cancer.
- Stone served as the Buckeyes' head coach from 1982-2007, the longest tenured coach in program history. He compiled a 531-294 overall record and a 297-177 record in Big Ten play during his tenure. He led the Buckeyes to three Big Ten Championships and 15 NCAA Tournament appearances. He led the program to both of its NCAA semifinals appearances – 1991 and 1994.
- Stone, who is fifth in Big Ten Conference history in both wins and Big Ten championships, was inducted into the American Volleyball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2021 and the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2012. He is 11th on Ohio State's all-time list of longest tenured head coaches.
- Stone's teams finished 16 seasons ranked nationally, highlighted by a No. 4 ranking in 1994. The 1991 Volleyball Monthly National Coach of the Year led the 1991 Buckeye squad to an undefeated record in Big Ten play. Stone also earned AVCA Mideast Region Coach of the Year and Big Ten Coach of the Year honors in 1991. He was named AVCA Mideast Region Coach of the Year and Big Ten Coach of the Year four times apiece throughout his Ohio State tenure.
- Stone coached 19 AVCA All-Americans, including AVCA Player of the Year winners Laura Davis (1994) and Stacey Gordon (2004). Seventeen of his student-athletes combined for 31 AVCA All-Region honors, while 26 student-athletes totaled 60 All-Big Ten accolades. Academically, Stone coached two Academic All-Americans with student-athletes totaling eight Academic All-District and 81 Academic All-Big Ten honors. Current head coach Jen Flynn Oldenburg played for four years under Stone, graduating with a bachelor's degree in sport and leisure studies in 2001.
- Outside of Ohio State, Stone served as a United States Olympic Festival Coach three times (1981, 1986, 1990) and coached at the 1999 World University Games. Stone also went on to serve as the head coach of the U.S. Girls' Youth National Team, coaching them in six FIVB World Championship events. He is the only USA age group coach of either a male or female team to win medals at the world event, capturing silver in 2013 and 2015 and gold in 2019.
- The Buckeyes head to Norman, Okla. to compete in the inaugural Big Ten/SEC Challenge. Ohio State will take on Ole Miss at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 2 and Oklahoma at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 3.
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