A mix of experienced transfers and fresh talent is reshaping the court at Seattle University. Ahead of the fall season, Seattle U Volleyball added five freshmen and four transfers to strengthen the roster and build for the future. For Head Coach Dan Behnke, the goal is to not just fill the spots, but to create a strong, lasting culture of success.
“We always want a little bit of a balance,” Behnke said. “We want to bring in people that we can develop.”
While freshmen allow the program to maintain long-term talent development, transfers help with meeting immediate positional needs. He continued by saying that recruiting players who are competitive, have winning experience and fit well with the team’s culture is a top priority for the staff.
The incoming transfer class includes Junior Hailey McEllrath from Lamar University, Sophomore Bella Jones from San Diego State University, Sophomore Lexi Jones from Montana State-Northern and Sophomore Clara Garcia from Fresno State University. Seattle U also signed five incoming freshmen: Orinayo Olukanmi from Quartz Hill High School in ; Linnaea Moore from Homestead High School; Vai Unga from Arbor View High School; Elaina Duong from Curtis High School and Janae Demant from Mead High School.
McEllrath spent two seasons at Lamar. The Ridgefield, Wash. native started in 23 matches in 2025, tallying 59 kills, 60 total blocks and 56 digs. In her freshman season at Lamar, McEllrath held the time-high hitting percentage, recording 27 total kills in just four starts.
B. Jones hails from Redondo Beach, Calif., and spent her freshman year at San Diego State. The setter appeared in 25 matches, accumulating 416 assists, 150 digs and 16 aces.
L. Jones spent her freshman season at NAIA MSU Northern where she appeared in 113 sets for the Lights. Hailing from our neighbors up north, Heritage Point, Alberta, Canada, the middle hitter amassed 236 kills while earning Frontier Conference Defensive Player of the Week, First-Team All-Conference and Freshman of the Year.
In just 65 sets as libero at Fresno State, Garcia recorded 148 digs, 44 assists and seven tallies. The Clovis, Calif., native achieved her season high digs Oct. 9, 2025, recording 25 digs against Air Force.
The transfer portal has grown to be an essential part of college athletics because it allows teams to quickly fill roster openings when players go or when certain positions require extra depth, according to Behnke.
Adee Butler, a Senior outside hitter who transferred from Utah Tech University was one of four transfers from the 2025-26 season. She said that the connections she had with the coaching staff made Seattle U stand out during the recruitment process.
“I remember thinking that I felt valued for not only what I was going to be able to do on the court, but also just who I was as a person,” Butler said.
Although it was first challenging for Butler to adjust to Seattle, having grown up in smaller towns, the environment surrounding the volleyball program soon made it easier. Especially on game days, she described the team atmosphere as thrilling and fiercely competitive.
Taniyah Pruitt, a Junior middle blocker who transferred from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, had a similar experience. For Pruitt, the school community made Seattle U seem like the perfect fit straight away, even if she can empathize with the challenges that come from switching colleges.
“You will find your place and you will find community,” Pruitt said. “But the best relationships take time.”
Pruitt explained that the new players raised the team’s expectations and created enthusiasm for the program’s future. Developing the defense, controlling the ball and setting up competitive practice situations were major priorities during the offseason. The coaching staff worked hard to keep sessions competitive even with a smaller spring group. To help replicate the speed and intensity the squad will see during conference play, assistant coaches and male practice players were often involved in exercises.
“This particular group was motivated to not stay the same,” Behnke said. “They wanted to improve. They wanted to grow.”
The teams’ goals go beyond only raising its conference rankings. The program has set goals for the season that they will be tracking through statistics such as passing, serving and hitting percentages.
Throughout the season, the coaching staff also emphasized confidence and mentality. Behnke noted that despite obstacles or losses during conference play, the program encouraged players to have faith in the team’s future.
“I don’t ever want to take away any potential or belief in our team that we could do something special,” Behnke said.
After setting an attendance record during a game against Washington State University last year, the program hopes to continue growing fan support this season while achieving success on the court. The team will play their first WCC home game of the 2026 season Sept. 26, taking on the University of Portland.
