Volleyball adds two through transfer portal

PULLMAN, Wash. — Washington State volleyball added two transfer student-athletes as Sage Brustad (Eastern Washington) and Jaden Walz (Bowling Green) each made their commitments to the Cougar volleyball official earlier this month as announced by Head Coach Korey Schroeder.

Having been named the 13th head volleyball coach in Washington State volleyball just after the New Year, Schroeder’s first two outside additions to the Cougar volleyball program bring multiple years of starting experience at the Division I level.

Brustad was a two-time All-Big Sky selection the past two seasons down the road in Cheney, Wash., where she was a primary hitter offensively the past two seasons, leading Eastern Washington in kills/set both years to along with 2.59 digs/set as a senior last season.  She was also a two-time Fall Big Sky All-Academic team selection while majoring in Criminal Justice at EWU.  Brustad’s .40 aces/set ranked fourth in the Big Sky last season, and she ranked fifth in the conference with 10.44 attacks/set as she started all 30 matches at outside for the Eagles.

Incoming setter Jaden Walz spent last season as the starting setter for a 19-win Bowling Green team that fell just short of a trip to the NCAA Tournament after reaching the MAC Tournament Championship where it fell in five sets to Western Michigan, a team that went on to upset Auburn in the opening round.  Walz has spent consistent time as a starter each of the past two seasons at Bowling Green and averaged a career-best 8.16 assists/set, good for eighth in the MAC, as a senior in 2023.  A five-time MAC East Setter of the Week award winner on the court, Walz was also a back-to-back Academic All-MAC honoree each of the past two seasons (2022-23).

Washington State, coming off of its eighth-consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament in 2023, will continue to prepare to compete as an affiliate member in the West Coast Conference in 2024.

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