NEW HAVEN, Conn. — The hunt for Yale's 15th Ivy League title begins now. After falling to Princeton in the Ivy League Tournament Championship Game, the Bulldogs will look to rebound and reach the NCAA Tournament for the 11th time under head coach Erin Appleman.

Looking ahead to the 2026 season, Appleman has announced the addition of five first-years who will join the squad this fall: Callie Funk, Caroline Huseman, Skylar Jackson, Cara Lehmitz and Kalyssa Taggart.

"I'm really excited about this class," Appleman said. "I think their skills and experience are very high and they will make our gym more competitive."

Meet the Incoming Class:

Callie Funk | Katy, Texas

• Funk, a 6-foot-3 middle blocker from Katy, Texas, is a product of Obra D. Tompkins High School and Houston Juniors Volleyball. 
• A four-year starter at Tompkins, she was twice named First Team All-District and earned Offensive MVP honors. Funk also served as team captain during both her junior and senior seasons.
• At the club level, she has competed in the Junior Olympics every year since seventh grade.

Caroline Huseman | Fort Worth, Texas

• Huseman, a 6-foot-3 outside hitter from Fort Worth, Texas, comes to Yale after competing for Texas Advantage Volleyball and Trinity Valley School. 
• With Texas Advantage, she helped her team finish in the top five at Junior Nationals in four consecutive years and was named to the AVCA Phenom List annually from 2022 to 2025.
• A four-year varsity player at Trinity Valley, Huseman won three state titles and earned All-SPC honors four times, All-SPC North Zone honors four times and All-Zone honors three times. She also served as team captain during her junior and senior seasons.

Skylar Jackson | Lucas, Texas

• Jackson, a 5-foot-11 outside hitter from Lucas, Texas, arrives in New Haven after being named PrepDig's No. 13 recruit in Texas and the No. 33 recruit nationally.
• A three-year varsity player at Lovejoy High School, Jackson earned AVCA All-America honors and was named Second Team All-District in 2023 and First Team All-District in 2024. She contributed to Lovejoy's 2023 Texas 5A state championship team and served as team captain during her senior season in 2025.
• At the club level, Jackson competed for Mad Frog Volleyball, where she was part of a 15 Open National Championship team and a 14 Open National runner-up finish.

Cara Lehmitz | Greenwich, Conn.

• Lehmitz, a 6-foot-2 outside hitter from Greenwich, Connecticut, joins the Bulldogs from Northeast Volleyball Club and Greenwich Country Day School. Northeast Volleyball Club is run by Cat Dailey Minyard '09, a former Yale standout and Ivy League Player of the Year.
• With Northeast, Lehmitz was selected to the 2022 NERVA High Performance Team and earned AAU Nationals 14U Classic Division All-Star honors.
• At Greenwich Country Day, she was a two-time NEPSAC champion and the 2024 NEPSAC Class B Player of the Year. She is also a three-time All-NEPSAC selection, a two-time All-FAA First Team honoree (2023, 2024) and a 2022 All-FAA Second Team selection.

Kalyssa Taggart | Tampa, Fla.

• Taggart, a 6-foot setter from Tampa, Florida, comes to Yale after competing for A5 Volleyball and OTVA Volleyball, in addition to her high school career at Berkeley Prep.
• She was named a PrepVolleyball Top 150 player for three consecutive years and was included on the AVCA Phenom Watch List in 2023 and 2024.
• At Berkeley Prep, Taggart helped her team to a Class 3A state runner-up finish in 2024, earning Best Newcomer honors. She later served as team captain during her senior season in 2025.