SAN DIEGO – San Diego State volleyball head coach Brent Hilliard has added seven talented newcomers for the 2025 season, which opens Saturday, Aug. 23, with an exhibition match at UC Irvine, starting at noon PT.
Along with 10 returning letterwinners, the Aztec roster features four freshman and three Division I transfers, all of whom will be looking to make their mark on a team that posted a 20-10 record last season, its highest victory total since the 2012 campaign.
Earlier this month, SDSU was picked to finish third in the Mountain West preseason season coaches poll, trailing only Utah State and Colorado State after receiving 96 points and two first-place votes, while senior opposite hitter Taylor Underwood earned a spot on the preseason all-conference team.
Following Saturday’s exhibition, the Aztecs commence their regular season slate next weekend, when they travel to the Bay Area to face California and San Francisco, respectively, in the Golden Bears’ home tournament, Aug. 29-30, in Berkeley, California.
Below is a look at SDSU’s newcomer class for 2025:
#2 Annelise Rising | R-So. | 6-1 | Outside Hitter
(Pasadena, Calif. | Mayfield Senior School | Univ. of Colorado)
Rising originally signed with Colorado out of high school, appearing in three matches for the Buffaloes last season as a redshirt freshman after sitting out the 2023 campaign. As a prep, Rising starred for Mayfield Senior School in Pasadena, where she garnered first-team all-Prep League accolades on three occasions (2019, 2021, 2022) while collecting conference MVP honors following her junior and senior seasons. Additionally, she received first team all-CIF Southern Section Division V recognition in 2021 and later helped the Cubs reach the regional finals of the CIF Division III state championship that season.
Coach Hilliard Says: “Annie will provide us with much-needed depth in the outside hitting position. She is solid in serve receive and packs a pretty big punch when attacking on either antenna. She has already proven herself to be great for team culture, as she is one of the hardest workers in the gym. We are extremely happy to have her and expect her to be a big part of our success this season.”
#3 Zara Stewart | Fr. | 5-6 | Libero/Defensive Specialist
(Bonita Springs, Fla. | First Baptist Academy)
Stewart was a multi-sport prep star at First Baptist Academy in Naples, Florida, where she helped her squad to a pair of FHSAA Class 2A playoff appearances, including a Final Four berth in 2024. As a senior last season, she garnered first-team all-area accolades and was named Female Athlete of the Year at the Southwest Florida Sports Awards after leading FBA to conference, district and regional titles. Stewart totaled over 1,231 kills and 1,927 digs in her prep career, collecting team MVP honors four times while serving as team captain on three occasions. She also excelled at guard on her school’s basketball squad, finishing with career totals of 1,288 points and 445 rebounds, earning team MVP honors four times.
Coach Hilliard Says: “Zara has a chance to be the best libero in our conference from day one. She is superior in serve receive and is not far behind that from a defensive perspective. The best part about Zara, and this is saying a lot, is that she is probably the most competitive person in the gym most days. We expect her to improve our ball control and team culture significantly from the outset.”
#6 Ella Schabort | Jr. | 6-2 | Outside Hitter
(Perth, Australia | Penrhos College | Binghamton Univ.)
Schabort is an Australian national who transferred to San Diego State earlier this spring after playing her first two collegiate seasons at Binghamton University in New York state. A versatile performer, Schabort started 43 of 58 matches with the Bearcats, posting 516 kills (2.47/set), 340 digs (1.63/set) and 102 blocks (0.49/set) to go with 58 service aces. She surpassed the double-digit kill plateau on 32 occasions and completed five double-doubles. Schabort made a huge splash as a freshman in 2023, earning second-team all-America East honors while landing on the league’s all-rookie team. That season, she ranked eighth in the America East with 3.21 points per set (321 overall) and was slotted ninth with 2.63 kills per frame (263 overall). As a sophomore in 2024, Schabort helped Binghamton secure a berth in the NIVC after ranking second on the team with 254 kills (2.32/set) and fourth with 236 digs (2.17/set).
Coach Hilliard Says: “Ella brings great size and talent to the outside hitting position. She is a complete player who can play all six rotations. She has also gained elite experience as a member of the Australian national team and can be one of the top outside hitters in our conference this upcoming season. We expect her to compete for starting time immediately.”
#8 Bella Jones | Fr. | 5-9 | Setter
(Redondo Beach, Calif. | Redondo Union HS)
Jones arrives on The Mesa from prep powerhouse Redondo Union High School, where she helped the Sea Hawks to a combined 83-38 record and consecutive berths in the CIF Division I state tournament over the past three seasons, highlighted by back-to-back semifinal appearances. As a senior, Jones also starred for her beach volleyball team, leading Redondo Union to the CIF Southern Section Division I championship last spring following consecutive runner-up finishes. In the title match against Mira Costa High, she scored the winning point at No. 3 pairs with a cross-court kill in the fifth set.
Coach Hilliard Says: “Bella will be a very good Division I setter in no time. She is smooth with her delivery and makes great choices when running an offense. I have complete confidence in Bella early on in her career. Her connection with the middles is at an elite level, and she brings a very good serve and defense to the setting position as well.”
#14 Mila Gehlen | Fr. | 6-2 | Opposite Hitter
(San Diego, Calif. | Scripps Ranch HS)
Gehlen is a local product from Scripps Ranch High School, where she was a three-year varsity performer. She contributed to a dramatic turnaround for the Centurions volleyball program, which finished with a 7-22 record during her sophomore campaign before posting a combined 46-27 ledger over her final two prep seasons. Gehlen helped Scripps Ranch to a pair of CIF San Diego Section Division II playoffs appearances, including a semifinal berth in 2023, which followed on the heels of City League East co-championships. As a senior, she tied for second on the team with 41 blocks and ranked third with 204 kills while adding 61 digs, according to MaxPreps. As a club performer with Coast Volleyball, Gehlen helped her squad to a second-place finish in the open division of the USA Volleyball Girls 18s Junior National Championship in Salt Lake City, Utah in April 2025.
Coach Hilliard Says: “Mila is going to be an elite player for our program for years to come. She has been the opposite (hitter) we have been looking for. Mila brings great size, skill, and the fact that she is left-handed makes her a weapon out of the right side. She has one of the best arms I have seen, as she can hit any tempo set while moving it in line or angle on a whim. With a little bit of experience under her belt, Mila has a chance to contribute big things to our program in the near future.”
#17 Rylie Sengdara | So. | 5-6 | Libero/Defensive Specialist
(Eastvale, Calif. | Eleanor Roosevelt HS | Cal State Fullerton)
Sengdara joins the Aztecs after spending her freshman season at Cal State Fullerton, where she ranked third on the team with 123 digs (1.60/set) in 77 sets across 25 matches in 2024. She reached the double-digit dig plateau on five occasions, recording a collegiate best 12 scoops in matches against CSUN and UC Riverside. Sengdara was a standout prep player at Eleanor Roosevelt High School, where she totaled 743 digs (4.9/set) and 77 aces (0.51/set) over her final two seasons in 2022 and 2023, according to MaxPreps, earning all-Big VIII Conference honors. Additionally, she garnered all-CIF Southern Section accolades as a junior, helping Roosevelt High to a semifinal appearance in the Division IV playoffs before her squad advanced to the second round of the CIF Division II regional tournament.
Coach Hilliard Says: “Rylie brings us some much much-needed depth to our ball control and defense. She can play all three back row positions at a very high level. She also reads offenses extremely well and is a great athlete with very quick on-court movement. Rylie has been great for team culture, as she works extremely hard, but most of all, she is going to bring our team defense to another level.”
#21 Kendall Mairs | Fr. | 5-11 | Setter
(Camas, Wash. | Camas HS)
Mairs arrives on The Mesa as a heavily decorated prep player from Camas High School in Washington, where she also excelled in basketball. On the volleyball court, Mairs earned team MVP honors and received all-state recognition in each of her four prep seasons, helping her Camas High squad to four consecutive quarterfinal appearances in the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) Class 4A Championships. Not to be outdone, she also garnered all-conference accolades on four occasions, collecting back-to-back Player of the Year awards from the Greater St. Helens League in 2023 and 2024.
Coach Hilliard Says: “Kendall brings a size and athleticism to the setting position that we have not had in my tenure here at SDSU. She is a tremendous athlete who can do almost anything on the court. Whether it's speed to a ball, volleyball IQ running an offense, providing great defense or bringing an elite serve, Kendall has already shown the ability to be the best at her position. We have huge expectations for her here and expect her to help us reach another level of success.”