Vanek helped the Wildcats wherever she was needed for three years
Roster updates have been made for the 2026 Arizona volleyball team, and there’s one surprise on it. Or rather a surprise that’s not on it. Transfers Payton Woods and Maria Olga Siapani have been announced by the program and added to the online roster. Notably, Siapani has the jersey No. 1, which has been the number of another player the past three years.
Pin hitter and middle blocker Sydnie Vanek has left the program to focus on track and field. Vanek has been trying to split time between the court and field for the past three years, but combining the two has not been an easy task. She will narrow her focus beginning this spring.
Vanek has a bright future on the field where she competes in the long jump. She was the CIF long jump champion out of Clovis (CA) High School in 2022 and 2023 before coming to Arizona, where she initially intended to focus on volleyball. However, head coaches Dave Rubio and Rita Stubbs let her try to do both.
Her freshman season on the field was outstanding. She didn’t compete during the indoor season, but during the outdoor season, she set an Arizona freshman record and jumped the second-best long jump distance in school history at 21-5.5 (6.54m). She ended her collegiate season in third place at Arizona’s final Pac-12 Championships and 13th place at the NCAA First Round Championships.
That didn’t end her 2024 season, though. Vanek went on to compete at U.S. Olympic Trials following her freshman season at Arizona.
That did end her competitive jumping for the Wildcats, though. She did not compete for the team in 2025, as she focused on volleyball during the spring tournament season.
She will return to the track and field team this season. She has four years of eligibility in indoor and three years of eligibility in outdoor. She would have been entering her senior year in volleyball in the fall of 2026.
Vanek’s decision to leave volleyball will give Arizona four middle blockers next season. The Wildcats return senior Journey Tucker, junior Adrianna Bridges, and sophomore Maya Flemister. They will add freshman Marina Vosloo, who received AVCA All-American honorable mention as a senior.
Prior to last season, Vanek had played both pins for Arizona. With the addition of Woods and freshman Hayden Reeder, the Wildcats will have six pins in 2026. Reeder has already arrived in Tucson to enroll early. The four middles and six pins are target numbers that Stubbs has expressed a preference for in the past.
Siapani gives Arizona two setters on the roster after the departure of Avery Scoggins in the transfer portal. Siapani will join sophomore Chloe Giehtbrock, who got limited playing time as a freshman.
In addition to Vosloo and Reeder, Arizona will have highly touted freshman libero Gigi Whann joining the team for next season.
Category: General Sports
