UMBC women’s volleyball players Alissa Grant and Isabel Ostvig earned America East weekly honors following the team’s undefeated opening weekend at the Country Roads Challenge hosted by West Virginia, according to. The Retrievers opened their 2026 campaign with a 2-0 record, highlighted by a straight-set sweep over UTRGV and a five-set victory against Big 12 opponent West Virginia.
Alissa Grant Named America East Rookie of the Week
Redshirt freshman middle blocker Alissa Grant secured America East Rookie of the Week recognition after making an immediate impact on both offense and defense, according to. Grant averaged 1.63 kills and 2.0 blocks per set over the first two matches while hitting .385 with 2.75 points per set. In the season-opening sweep of UTRGV, she notched six kills on a .750 hitting percentage. Against West Virginia, Grant contributed seven kills and was involved in 10 blocks—including one solo block and nine block assists—as UMBC totaled 16 team blocks. reported that Grant delivered a critical kill in the fifth set off a pass from Isabel Ostvig and later combined with Claudia Llamas on a block to give UMBC a 12-10 advantage.
Isabel Ostvig Earns Setter of the Week Honors
Junior setter Isabel Ostvig directed the UMBC offense to earn America East Setter of the Week honors, collecting the second weekly award of her career after previously receiving the recognition during the 2025 season, according to. Ostvig averaged a conference-best 9.63 assists per set, along with 1.88 digs and 1.13 blocks per set over the opening weekend. She tallied 38 assists in the sweep of UTRGV and followed with 39 assists, four kills, eight digs, eight blocks, and two service aces in the five-set win over West Virginia. noted that Ostvig delivered an ace during a pivotal fourth-point run in the fifth set against the Mountaineers, helping the Retrievers erase a 7-5 deficit and secure a 15-13 set and match win.
Opening Weekend Context and Team Performance
The Country Roads Challenge demonstrated early balance for the Retrievers between veteran leadership and emerging talent, according to. While the opening sweep of UTRGV established an early rhythm, the five-set win over West Virginia required UMBC to overcome a major momentum shift after losing a two-set lead and a 15-7 advantage in the third set. Ostvig’s established setting presence—coming off a 2025 campaign where she recorded three triple-doubles and notched double-digit assists in all 25 matches—paired with Grant’s net defense to keep UMBC undefeated heading into the remainder of their early-season schedule.
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