PUEBLO, Colo. – The wait is over.
Colorado State University Pueblo volleyball officially returned to the court Monday as the ThunderWolves held their first practice of the 2026 season, opening fall camp inside Massari Arena and beginning the next chapter for a program coming off one of its most successful seasons in recent history.
The Pack enters 2026 with plenty of momentum following a historic 2025 campaign under Head Coach Jordan Bruere.
In her first season leading her alma mater, Bruere guided CSU Pueblo to a 20-9 overall record, an 11-3 mark in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play and a perfect 10-0 record inside Massari Arena. The ThunderWolves advanced to the semifinals of the RMAC Tournament before earning the No. 5 seed in the NCAA Division II South Central Regional and making the program's first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2022.
The Pack's success was particularly evident inside the friendly confines of Massari Arena, where CSU Pueblo completed an undefeated home campaign. The ThunderWolves also opened RMAC play with seven consecutive victories, including home sweeps of Regis and Colorado School of Mines and road victories at South Dakota Mines, Black Hills State and Westminster.
CSU Pueblo finished the year averaging 13.2 kills and 16.6 digs per set while hitting .234 as a team. Defensively, the Pack held its opponents to a .183 hitting percentage and finished with 231.5 total blocks compared to 183.0 for its opponents.
Along with the team's success came one of the most decorated individual seasons in CSU Pueblo volleyball history.
Outside hitter Caelyn Gunn became the first player in program history to earn RMAC Player of the Year honors, while setter Elena Stankovic became the program's first RMAC Setter of the Year. Gunn and Stankovic were joined by Golden Finch in earning AVCA All-America recognition following the season.
Gunn led the Pack with 405 kills and 3.97 kills per set while adding 329 digs and a team-high 442 points. Finch led CSU Pueblo with a .351 hitting percentage and 102 total blocks, while Stankovic orchestrated the ThunderWolves' offense with 936 assists and 9.75 assists per set.
Now, the calendar has turned to 2026.
Pack Returns Key Pieces for 2026
While CSU Pueblo will feature several new faces this fall, the ThunderWolves return an experienced group that played key roles in last season's historic run, headlined by reigning RMAC Setter of the Year Elena Stankovic.
Stankovic returns after directing the Pack offense with 936 assists and 9.75 assists per set in 2025. She also contributed 222 digs, 93 kills, 36 service aces and 58 total blocks while hitting .308.
Joining Stankovic among the key returners is Finja Schul, who established herself as a presence at the net during the 2025 campaign. Schul recorded 180 kills while hitting .283 and finished with 93 total blocks, including a team-leading 18 solo blocks.
Lilly Zwart gives the ThunderWolves another experienced option at the net after appearing in 97 sets last season. Zwart recorded 168 kills and 67 total blocks while accounting for 203 points during the 2025 campaign.
The return of Stankovic, Schul and Zwart gives the Pack a group with significant collegiate experience as CSU Pueblo begins the process of replacing several major contributors from last year's NCAA Tournament team.
Monday marked the first opportunity for the 2026 edition of the ThunderWolves to take the court together as the Pack begins preparations for another run through the RMAC and South Central Region.
After a 2025 season that saw CSU Pueblo win 20 matches, go unbeaten at home and return to the NCAA Tournament, the accomplishments of last fall have set the foundation.
Now comes the opportunity to build on it.
