Box Score Ruston, La. - Houston Christian volleyball closed out the opening weekend of the 2026 season at the Jambalaya Jam in a five-set battle vs. Iona.

The Huskies got off to a strong start in the match, earning a win in the first set, which included a 16-11 lead that gave the Huskies momentum to finish the set 26-24. Late in the second set, with a slight advantage of 21-19, the Huskies were bested by a Gaels rally that ended in a 25-22 Iona set win. The third set saw yet another shift in momentum for the Huskies, as they garnered a seven-point lead in the middle of the set that carried on to end the set 25-17. The fourth set shifted in Iona's favor, taking a 20-10 lead late in the set and ending 25-13, setting up HCU's third five-set matchup of the weekend. Both teams fought hard in a back-and-forth fifth set with multiple lead changes, but ultimately ended in a 15-13 Iona victory, sealing the match for the Gaels.

Leading the Huskies offensively were Sa'Myah Medford and Katy Barger. Medford had 12 kills and 44 attacks, while Barger had 12 kills and led the squad with 50 attacks. HCU's defensive effort was led by Ensilina Savelio, who had 14 digs, while also adding 39 assists on top of a .385 hitting percentage.

Junior Bianca Byerly was also the only Husky to be selected to the 2026 Jambalaya Jam all-tournament team. In her three games, Byerly amassed 64 digs and 18 assists, earning her the accomplishment.

HCU volleyball returns to the court next weekend for the Houston Invitational, with the first matchup against Texas Southern on Thursday, Sep.3 at 6:30 pm, followed by back-to-back matches vs. Abilene Christian and the host UH on Friday, Sep. 4^th at 1 pm and 6:30 pm.