Familiar Faces and New Additions Expected for the 2026 Indy Ignite Roster
MLV Indy Ignite

Familiar Faces and New Additions Expected for the 2026 Indy Ignite Roster

August 5, 2025 - Major League Volleyball (MLV)
Indy Ignite News Release


FISHERS, Ind. - The Indy Ignite are ready to get down to the business of preparing now for the 2026 season. It will begin this week with the announcement of the new player signings for the upcoming campaign.

"We're eager to build on the tremendous success that the Ignite achieved in our inaugural season, when we came within one victory of winning the league championship," said Mary Kay Huse, the team's President and General Manager. "We are hard at work constructing a roster we believe will keep the Ignite fire burning and again put us in competition for the title in our second season."

Indy qualified for the four-team Pro Volleyball Federation (PVF) postseason tournament in May and advanced to the championship match before being defeated by the Orlando Valkyries. Earlier today, a new league structure was announced that will see it renamed Major League Volleyball (MLV) moving forward.

As was the case this past year, MLV will consist of eight teams again in 2026; two more are expected to be added for 2027. The slate are the Ignite, the Atlanta Vibe, Columbus Fury, Grand Rapids Rise, Omaha Supernovas, Orlando Valkyries, San Diego Mojo, and an expansion franchise this year in Dallas. Franchises in Northern California and Washington DC are currently slated for the 2027 season.

"Today's news is the next step in the continuing growth of this league, which showcases the best talent in American women's professional volleyball," said Jim Schumacher, co-founder of the Ignite. "We witnessed how exciting the league was this past season, not to mention the caliber of the athletes competing. The new MLV structure brings added momentum as we build on the success and popularity of the league's first two seasons. Everyone at Indy Ignite is excited to be a part of this next chapter as we work together with the league and all the franchises to take this sport to the next level."

Teams may begin signing players for 2026 at 5 p.m. ET on Thursday, and the Ignite aren't wasting time in securing those that they want to lead the charge. Huse and Lauren Bertolacci, Indy's new head coach, are expected to announce a number of players under contract later this week. Some of those names will be familiar to Ignite fans, others will be new to Indiana.

"We were fortunate to put together a well-rounded and highly competitive roster for last season." Huse said. "It's in our best interest to bring back some of those talented women who set such a high standard in our inaugural season. At the same time, to reach our goal of capturing the championship in 2026, we need to look at players who can enhance that roster. We believe fans will love what they see and feel our excitement as the pieces fall into place."

Ignite player signings will be announced as they become official. The 2026 MVL season begins in January. The full schedule will be announced in the coming months.



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