ROME- Head Coach Taylor Watson announced on Monday the 2026 signing class for the upcoming year, which combines a talented mix of newcomers as well as 14 returners from last year's roster. 
 

Leading the way is senior outside hitter Victoria Sparks, who etched her name into the program record book with 3.06 kills per set, ranking ninth in single-season history. Sparks paced the Hawks across the board with 335 kills, 335 digs, and 372.0 points, while also finishing among the top performers in Conference Carolinas. Sophomore setter Brooke Thao returns after an impressive freshman campaign, leading the team with 518 assists while adding 28 service aces and 259 digs. The Hawks also bring back key contributors in the front row, including middle blocker Ava Medina, who ranked eighth in the conference in hitting percentage (.279) and led the team with 29 aces, along with seniors Alexis Williams and Caroline Sivills. Defensively, sophomore libero Caitlyn Sutton looks to build on a 235-dig freshman season.
 

The 2026 signing class features six immediate-impact additions, highlighted by middle blocker Emily Drier (Winter Haven, Fla.), a decorated club and high school standout with over 800 career kills and a .426 hitting percentage. She is joined by outside hitter Whitlee Harvey (Crawfordville, Fla.), who led the state of Florida in kills (580) in 2025 and finished her career with 1,286 kills. Additional front-row additions include Hannah Coté (Fort Myers, Fla.), a versatile pin hitter, and Natalie Lunt (Winder, Ga.), a record-setting outside hitter and all-region selection.

 

In the back row, defensive specialist Sutton Szoke (Bogart, Ga.) brings elite production after totaling 381 digs as a senior and setting school records in both digs and aces. Junior college transfer Abby McDonald adds experience at libero after recording 954 digs across two seasons at Wallace State, earning multiple all-conference honors.

 

The Hawks also add depth with a talented developmental group, including setter Hannah Smith (Rome, Ga.), right-side hitter Kaylee Snyder (Fayetteville, Ga.), and middle blockers Payton Phillips (Dublin, Ga.) and Elizabeth Chirello (Kennesaw, Ga.). 


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