As the Hillsdale College volleyball team enters the closing stretch of the 2025 season, the Chargers have solidified their roster for the 2026 campaign with the signing of five players on National Signing Day this past Wednesday.

Hillsdale adds Taylor Brownsword (Masillon, OH/Jackson), Madison Geer (Frankenmuth, MI/Frankenmuth), Ivy Rex (Upper Arlington, OH/Upper Arlington), Ella Vandermark (Danville, IN/Danville), and Addy Nutley (Mason, OH/Mason) to its team for next fall, a strong class that should have an immediate impact for the Chargers in 2026.

Brownsword is a versatile outside hitter and defensive specialist who helped Jackson High School reach the regional final round of the most recent OHSAA Division 1 state championship tournament that just concluded on Nov. 9. A three-year letterwinner in volleyball for the Polar Bears, Brownsword helped Jackson capture three straight district titles and was twice named to the All-District IV team. She also made the 2024 AVCA Phenom/JVA Watch List and twice qualified for the USA Volleyball National Tournament through her club team.

A two-sport athlete who also excelled in track and field for Jackson, Brownsword was a two-time nominee for Athlete of the Year at the Greater Akron-Canton High School Sports Awards. She starred on the club circuit for Academy Volleyball Cleveland and NOVA Juniors, and was a standout student in high school, earning membership in the National Honor Society, serving on the student council, and also earning membership in the Chinese, Math, Science and Music Honor Societies at Jackson.

Geer is a talented outside hitter who starred at Frankenmuth High School in mid-Michigan, the alma mater of Hillsdale All-American Lindsey Mertz. As a sophomore in 2023, Geer helped lead Frankenmuth to its first MHSAA Division 2 regional championship in over a decade, and earned honorable mention All-State honors as both a sophomore and junior from MIVCA, as well as All-TVC-8 Conference honors in both seasons. She put up 1,353 kills and 1,098 digs over the course of her high school career, which was cut short by a season-ending injury as a senior.

A standout club player for Five:1 and Legacy Adidas, Geer was a part of the top-ranked 15U club team in the country in 2023 with Legacy. She also excelled as a two-sport athlete for the Eagles, winning a MITCA Team State title in 2023 and qualifying for the MHSAA State Meet in the 4x200 relay in 2025. A strong student, Geer is a member of the National Honor Society, competed in DECA at Frankenmuth, and took multiple AP classes.

Rex hails from Upper Arlington in the Columbus suburbs of Ohio, where she excelled as a setter for the Golden Bears. Standing an imposing 6-foot-2 at the net, Rex earned first team All-Capital-Central Conference and Second-Team All-Ohio honors while helping turn Upper Arlington from a five-win team her sophomore year into a OHSAA Division I district finalist in 2025 as a senior. Rex finished with 985 career assists and 124 blocks, showcasing defensive prowess at the net that could set her apart in college.

Rex also excelled in club action for Elite VBTC and the Mintonette 82s, and was an active volunteer throughout her time in school, working with Meals on Wheels for nine years.

Vandermark is a standout middle hitter from Danville, Indiana, just west of Indianapolis, and a star contributor at Danville Community High School for four seasons. A four-time All-Sagamore Conference player, Vandermark was a force at the net for the Warriors, with 217 career blocks, and continued to grow as an offensive player throughout, increasing her kill total every year until she finished with 309 as a senior.

On the club scene, Vandermark also stood out with Circle City, playing on their teams for six seasons, and is a strong student, earning both membership in Danville's National Honor Society and the school's Student Council.

Nutley is another impressive middle hitter prospect hailing from Mason High School, in a suburb north of Cincinnati that also produced two-time All-American volleyball player Marilyn Popplewell for the Chargers. A three year starter for the Comets, Nutley helped lead Mason to back-to-back OHSAA Division 1 Regional Final appearances, both times losing to the eventual state champion in competitive matches. A standout defender at the net who finished first or second in blocks in her conference all three seasons of high school and finished with 200 blocks for her career, Nutley received two All-Greater Miami Conference honors and was selected to play in the district All-Star game as a senior.

On the club circuit, Nutley starred for Elevation Volleyball Club, and was a solid student, earning academic honors from Mason High School in each of the past three years.

Photos are courtesy of the athletes. From left: Brownsword, Geer, Rex, Vandermark