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BYU's Claire Little Chambers talks to head coach Rob Neilson against Utah Tech in a women's college volleyball exhibition match at the Smith Fieldhouse on Saturday, August 22, 2026.

Harold Mitchell, Special to the Herald

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BYU's Alex Bower (7) and Claire Little Chambers celebrate a point during a women's college volleyball match against Wichita State at the Smith Fieldhouse on Friday, Sept. 5, 2025.

Courtesy BYU Photo

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BYU's Claire Little Chambers (12) takes a swing against Colorado in a Big 12 women's volleyball match at the Smith Fieldhouse on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025.

Harold Mitchell, Special to the Herald

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BYU's Alex Bower (7) and Brielle Kemavor put up a block against Iowa State in a Big 12 women's volleyball match at the Smith Fieldhouse on Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025.

Harold Mitchell, Special to the Herald

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When Rob Neilson took over the BYU women’s volleyball program in January, no one had to tell him about the pressures and expectations of the job.

He has already lived it.

A former player and coach for the Cougars, Neilson was well aware of what the Olmsteads (Shawn and Heather) had done the past 15 years at the school, a legacy that includes numerous conference titles and NCAA Tournaments as well as championship match and Final Four appearances.

Neilson was a member of the BYU men’s volleyball 2004 national champions and pushed Utah State’s women’s program to three NCAA Tournament appearances as a coach, so success is an expectation for him as well.

The program is still in the midst of adjusting to playing in one of the country’s toughest volleyball conferences, the Big 12, and Neilson is now the caretaker of that effort.

“This has been an incredibly successful group,” Neilson said during the league’s volleyball media days. “They’ve done it at the highest levels. We’re not trying to change a lot. We’re just trying to make some tweaks here and there. We might play a little faster. We might play a little bit more out of the back row. We’re trying to get the ball to our great middle blockers from as many places on the court as we can, and we’re just trying to get better in in small ways. There’s not a massive difference between the top teams and where we were at last year, and so we’re just trying to close that gap.”

Where were we?

BYU finished 10-8 in Big 12 play, tied for sixth place, and was one of ten teams to make the NCAA Tournament from the league. The Cougars earned a No. 6 seed but were upset in five sets by Cal Poly, the second straight season the team had been knocked out of the first round by a program from a non-power conference.

While Heather Olmstead was 279-55 (84%) overall at BYU, she was 35-19 (65%) in three seasons in the Big 12. The Cougars haven’t been past the second round of the NCAA Tournament since 2021.

Welcome back

Suli Davis was fantastic as a freshman last season (541 kills, 4.55 per set) but decided to leave the program and transferred to SMU. Nielson still has three key pieces to start his first season in 5-foot-11 junior setter Alex Bower, 6-3 senior outside hitter Claire Little Chambers and 6-5 senior middle Brielle Kemavor.

Bower posted 1,265 assists (10.53 per set) last season and will begin her third year as a starter. Chambers (432 kills, 3.66 per set) saw her hitting percentage drop in 2025 (from .275 to .253) but remains the Cougars most experienced hitter. Kemavor is a force, finishing with 253 kills (2.13 per set) and hitting .372 while averaging 1.16 blocks per set. She’s recovering from off-season surgery and likely won’t be available until mid-September.

Junior outside hitter Elli Mortensen was mainly a back row passer last season but has had a great offseason according to Nielson. Senior Sophie Callahan (226 kills) and sophomore left-hander Anna Blamires could provide some pop on the pins as well.

Senior Emma Barbaro is taking an injury redshirt year so the libero duties fall to junior Lulu Po’uha, who had 290 digs (2.48) last season,

After taking a year away from volleyball, opposite hitter Kate Prior has rejoined the team. The 6-4 senior has 357 career kills to her credit.

It’s all new

Kelli Jo (KJ) Burgess, a 6-2 middle blocker and a former Lone Peak standout, transferred from Oklahoma where she was second-team All-SEC (.411 hitting percentage, 136 total blocks). Rachel Jepsen, a 6-4 sophomore middle blocker, transferred in from Pitt after completing a church mission. They will battle to join Kemavor in the middle along with 6-foot freshman Brooke Hardy, who’s offensive ability will make it hard to keep her out of the lineup.

Junior setter Kaylie Kofe, who was the MWC Player of the Year while playing for Nielsen at Utah State last season, will back up Bower along with sophomore Grace Frederick.

A late addition to the roster is Texas-Rio Grande Valley transfer Dimitra Nanou, the Southern Conference Freshman of the Year after managing 3.09 kills per set last season.

“We have a lot of depth,” Neilson said. “We’ve improved in our ability to control the volleyball. Our ability to handle the ball and all those little funny rallies, just all these little touches and out-of-system sets, we’ve improved. I think we’ve gotten a ton better at those things. The new additions have added a layer of talent and depth and big arms, and it’s just pushing everybody to get better. So I think those are the biggest thing from the spring.”

Ready to go

The Cougars open the season on the road at the Florida Gulf Coast Invitational against Florida State. BYU begins its home slate against Eastern Illinois on Sept. 3 and then hosts No. 4 Pitt the following night.

Other highlights for the non-conference schedule include a home match against UCLA and in-state battles with Utah Valley (Sept. 15), Weber State (Sept. 17) and Neilson’s old school Utah State (Sept. 19).

The Cougars open the Big 12 slate in the Smith Fieldhouse against Baylor on Sept. 25.

BYU starts the season ranked No. 24 in AVCA poll, its lowest spot since starting the season unranked in 2012. The Cougars are the sixth Big 12 team ranked to start 2026 behind Arizona State (12), Kansas (15), TCU (18), Baylor (21), Colorado (23).

“I think that there’s no limits,” Little Chambers said. “This group, we’re going to achieve what we want to achieve in the sense of we’re going to work every day at practice, and there’s no limitations on the new players. These girls are really good and it makes me excited as a senior. And then there is a new coaching staff, too. It’s like nobody’s spot is secured. Everybody’s got to work for it, and so it’s been fun to watch everybody battle every single day. Every season gives you a revival of excitement, and the skill level of this team is very high, and with Rob’s systems, elite for sure.”

BYU Women’s Volleyball

Five Things to Watch in 2026

Stepping into the lead

There are rather large shoes to fill for Rob Neilson, who replaces one of the most successful coaches in BYU history in Heather Olmstead.

Who’s the alpha?

Suli Davis was a scoring machine as a freshman but decided to transfer back home to play for SMU. That puts a lot of pressure on Claire Little Chambers to step up her game as the go-to pin hitter for the Cougars.

New system

Neilson wants to play faster, get the ball more to the middles and have more back row attacks. More than that, the Cougars are looking at new faces on the sidelines and new ways of problem solving.

The grind

The Big 12 landed a nation’s best ten teams in the 2025 NCAA Women’s Volleyball Tournament, with Arizona State and Kansas advancing to the Sweet 16. Every match is potential landmine on the way to the NCAA’s.

Home sweet home

Olmstead was 151-16 (90%) in the Smith Fieldhouse during her 11-year run as head coach. Keeping that home court advantage is important for the Cougars moving forward with Neilson at the helm.

2026 BYU Women’s Volleyball Schedule

Friday, Aug. 28 Florida State at FGCU Invitational, noon

Saturday, Aug. 29 Florida Gulf Coast at FGCU Invitational, 3 p.m.

Thursday, Sept. 3 Eastern Illinois, 6:30 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 4 Pitt, 6:30 p.m.

Thursday, Sept. 8 at Boise State, 6 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 11 UCLA, 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Sept. 15 Utah Valley, 6:30 p.m.

Thursday, Sept. 17 at Weber State, 6 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 19 Utah State, 1 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 25 Baylor, 8 p.m. (FS1)

Thursday, Oct. 1 at Kansas State, 5:30 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 2 at Kansas, 5 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 8 at Houston, 5:30 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 10 West Virginia, 6:30 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 15 at Utah, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 17 at Arizona, 7 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 22 Colorado, 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 24 Arizona State, 6:30 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 30 Utah, 6:30 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 5 at Colorado, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 7 at Iowa State, 1 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 12 at Baylor, 6 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 14 Texas Tech, 1 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 19 Arizona, 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 21 Cincinnati, 1 p.m.

Wednesday, Nov. 25 at UCF, 11:30 a.m.

Friday, Nov. 27 TCU, 6:30 p.m.