Big Blue Bear Energy: Livingstone Volleyball Ready to Raise the Standard in 2026

The season is here, and Head Coach Ericka Charleston is ready to set the tone for Livingstone College volleyball.

The Blue Bears enter the 2026 season projected to finish seventh in the CIAA, moving up one spot from last year's preseason projection. After earning a spot in the 2025 CIAA Championship and battling Virginia State in the quarterfinals, Charleston believes this year's team has the talent to take another step forward.

“There is a lot of talent,” Charleston said of her 2026 squad, which features a mix of returning players, freshmen and newcomers ready to bring what she calls “Big Blue Bear Energy.”

And the expectation is simple: be better.

One player expected to help lead that charge is Da'Maia Bryant. The Las Vegas, Nevada native and right-side hitter was named to the 2026 Preseason All-CIAA Volleyball Team, giving Livingstone representation among the conference's preseason standouts.

But Bryant isn't entering the season focused solely on preseason recognition. During a recent interview on Livingstone Athletics' Beyond The Game, she shared her goals for the year and the role she hopes to play in the Blue Bears' success.

As part of the team's leadership group, Bryant spoke about the family culture surrounding Livingstone Volleyball, her excitement for the freshmen and newcomers, and the importance of showing them what it means to be a Lady Blue Bear. She's also entering the season with confidence and some goals of her own, including finishing among the CIAA's top five statistical leaders in kills and blocks.

For Bryant, it's about embracing her role, bringing a strong presence to the court and doing her part to help move Livingstone forward.

The Blue Bears will have plenty of opportunity to do just that. Livingstone sits behind Fayetteville State, Shaw, Virginia State, Winston-Salem State, Bluefield State and Bowie State in the predicted order of finish.

But preseason rankings only tell us where a team is expected to start, not where it will finish.

For Charleston and the Blue Bears, the talent is there. The confidence is growing. The culture is family.

Now it's time to bring the Big Blue Bear Energy.