At least one new champ will hold court in boys volleyball

The 2025 season brought a new dynamic to DODEA-Europe’s boys volleyball setup.

Instead of having all teams meet in the same tournament, two championships were created – North and South – with competition played at different sites instead of a carnival in Vicenza.

Two title-winners were crowned, with Bahrain claiming the South and debutant Stuttgart winning in the North.

This year will look similar, although for the first time in years, the number of teams decreased from 15 to 14. Bahrain is closed, while Marymount, a private school in Rome, is not participating in DODEA competition this season.

The North continues to grow, though, with the addition of Wiesbaden. That gives the two areas an even seven-seven split.

Also, the sectional tournaments that whittled down the European qualifiers to four teams will not be returning for a second season.

This year’s champions will be crowned Oct. 30-31 in the Kaiserslautern Military Community and Vicenza.

Here’s a team-by-team breakdown based off responses from coaches around Europe:

North

Hohenfels

The Tigers have taken their lumps in their first three years as a varsity program, winning just two matches over that span.

With Shayla Hogue taking over the program, though, Hohenfels is treating this season as a new beginning.

That new start will take them all over Europe. The lone Division III program will travel to Italy twice and even to Spain, along with playing teams in Germany.

The Tigers have plenty of experience coming back. Three seniors have been with the program since the program’s inception in setter Jaylen Greene, setter/outside hitter Tkoa Kaisa and outside hitter/middle blocker Lucas Gibbs.

Seniors Adrain Collier (outside hitter/middle blocker), Almario Guerrero (libero) and Nasir Vargas (outside hitter) are in the second year on the squad, and junior outside hitter Kyrin Smith enters his third year on the squad.

Junior Lakai Ruiz, sophomore Michael Luciano and freshmen Ian Santos and Raymond and Rayden Quinones are rookies.

Ramstein

A year ago, the Royals proved they can compete with anybody, falling a couple points short of claiming their first European crown.

Now, coach Eric Kotzar said the goal is to take that next step.

Ramstein lost a good portion of the core that helped start the program, but the squad still has plenty of firepower for 2026.

Seniors Hayden Negrillo-Lopez (libero), Daniel Torres (outside hitter) and James Yost (middle hitter) and juniors Derek Matthew Ybay (defensive specialist), Geo Guillen Smith (defensive specialist) and Reed Arnold (setter) are back for Ramstein.

New are senior Shawn Jager, juniors Quentin Arbour and Ronald White, sophomore Gavin Griffith and freshman Zachary Killgren.

Stuttgart

The Panthers couldn’t have asked for a better start for their program. In their first year, they came home with a European title.

Now, Nicole Andre’s squad will try to run it again.

Stuttgart lost a good chunk of firepower, but plenty of players are back.

Josiah Sinco is moving from libero to setter, and opposite hitters Liam Coan and Theron Allan, outside hitter Ruaridh Taylor, middle blocker Santino Bowen, middle/outside hitter Patrick Hale and setter/defensive specialist Matthew Donahue are veterans.

New to the team are liberos Nico Ambrosino and Ian Otero, opposite hitter Nikhil Roy-Chowdry, outside hitter Nero Bowen, libero/defensive specialist Jackson Chiodi, middle blocker Mikel Zamora and freshman hitter Eros Boulanger.

Wiesbaden

Welcome to varsity boys volleyball, Warriors.

Wiesbaden has spent the past two seasons as a club program, but now the boys volleyball team is in official competition.

First-year coach Trisha Waldron couldn’t be happier about the turnout. Eighteen players are on the roster, creating competition for spots to make the 12-man traveling team.

Seven of the guys who played on the club team – senior captain Ty Waldron, sophomore Randall Redeen, junior middle blocker/opposite hitter Dominic Zwygart, senior middle blocker/opposite hitter Aiden McNair, sophomore opposite hitter/middle blocker Jamis Evans, senior defensive specialist Wrigley O’Neil and senior defensive specialist/setter Cameron Barbina – are getting their first taste of DODEA boys volleyball this fall.

Waldron and Zwygart helped start the program. Waldron and Redeeen also have experience playing club volleyball and tournaments.

Newcomers are senior Grady Icanberry (hitter); junior Liam Ho (outside/opposite hitter); sophomores Javen Balon (opposite hitter/defensive specialist/setter) Kai Leikness (hitter) and Khalil Riso (defensive specialist/setter); freshmen Barrett Hayes (opposite hitter/defensive specialist), Ethan Proffitt (defensive specialist/setter), Aidan Raymond (defensive specialist), Cameron Barbina (middle blocker) and Mateusz Turner (defensive specialist/setter); and international transfer student Georgi Edwards (defensive specialist/setter).

South

American Overseas School of Rome

The Falcons had their struggles in 2025, but coaches Andrea Desideri and Freddy Reale expressed their expectations to compete in 2026.

Eight players are back in seniors Giulio Calvosa (hitter), Giacomo Gabardo (libero), Valerio Natali (setter), Saverio Nazzi (hitter) and Felix Noblot-Celegin (middle); juniors Luca Evans (middle) and Curtis Starns (hitter); and sophomore Liam Imes (libero).

Sophomore hitter Julien Marianelli, sophomore setter Sawyer Steelman and freshmen setters Noah Conzelman Nahual and Tristan Miller join the squad.

Black Forest Academy

New coach, same expectations.

Tatum Pineda Wood takes over the boys program after two seasons with the JV girls, and she anticipates the Falcons competing for a championship no matter the regular-season record.

Last season was a great example. BFA went 2-4 during the regular season against bigger schools, and yet it advanced to the South final where it lost to Bahrain.

Numerous Falcons are back, led by 2025 all-tournament selection Uriah Trusty at middle blocker/outside hitter. Middle blocker Max Koene, outside/right-side hitter Nate Narvesen, libero Jong Ha Park, setters/opposite hitters David Schlonecker and Malachi Wood Pineda and opposite hitter Micah Yates are the team’s other veterans.

Moving up from the JV squad are middle blocker Gavin Cuttino, outside hitter Jhun-I Kang, middle blocker/outside hitter Zac LaChonce, libero Caleb Takano and outside/right-side hitter Charlie Woolwine.

Rota

The Admirals finished the regular season with the division’s second-best record, but they failed to get out of the sectional tournament to advance to Euros.

Coach Edward DeMeritt said Rota is hungry and has the talent to bounce back from that disappointing end.

The squad has just two seniors in middles Parker Njoku and Brayden Kocher. They are new to the team this fall.

The group with the most experience is the junior class: outside hitter Jaydon Afisivalu, middle hitter Jon Valenzuela, defensive specialist Josh Padin, opposite hitter Jediah Chaco and setter Julian Haber.

Sophomore middle hitter Mason Kocher also is a veteran.

Junior Jake Jennings is giving volleyball a try. Known for his prowess in the European Forces Swim League, he will play setter this fall.

Other newcomers include sophomore outside hitter Brody Rhoades and sophomore defensive specialists Aiden Taylor and Kaeden McCarver.

Sigonella

Jaguar coach Salvatore Iozzia has a rebuild on his hands after losing most of his important players to transfer and graduation.

The goal is to reshape the team with the newcomers and hope they gel quickly, according to Iozzia.

Seniors Bobby Gibbons (hitter), Carter Steele (opposite hitter) and Colfax McKown (middle), junior Caiden Roche (middle) and sophomores Kaleb Brown (hitter) and Eli Delgado (defensive specialist) return from 2025’s roster.

New to the team are freshman setter Taisen Badua Marino, sophomore middle Joshua Weldon, sophomore libero Rafel Barney, junior middle Logan Smith and freshman defensive specialist Anthony Monroy.