BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — Cal State Bakersfield head volleyball coach Kristen Wright announced the addition of four student-athletes to the Roadrunners program this spring as she begins her tenure leading CSUB Volleyball.
The incoming group features a mix of experience, size, and international backgrounds, highlighted by sophomore middle blocker Jordyn Waite-Ward. Standing 6-foot-2, Waite-Ward joins CSUB after competing at CBU and Sonoma State. During the 2025 season, she appeared in 17 matches, recording 88 kills and 42 blocks while ranking third on her team in blocks per set. A four-year varsity standout at Aptos High School, she earned All-CCS Second Team honors and helped lead her team to a CCS State Championship. Waite-Ward is majoring in kinesiology and aspires to become a travel nurse or play volleyball internationally.
Also joining the Roadrunners is Ana Benjamim, a 5-foot-10 sophomore outside hitter and defensive specialist from Medianeira, Brazil. Benjamim appeared in 29 matches and 57 sets at Saint John's, recording 67 kills, 45 digs, six assists, and three service aces. She posted her first career double-double with 11 kills and 10 digs against Bryant and recorded 10 kills versus North Carolina A&T. Benjamim brings extensive experience, having played club and high school volleyball for 11 years and serving as a four-year team captain. She was named Best Hitter at the 2023 Brazilian Club Championship.
Setter Ella Pallagi, a 6-foot-1 sophomore, transfers to CSUB after competing at Texas A&M–Corpus Christi. During the 2024 season, Pallagi appeared in 16 matches and recorded 36 assists, two kills, and two service aces. She is a graduate of Arizona College Prep and competed in club volleyball for seven years with Spiral Volleyball Club.
Rounding out the class is freshman Taly Acherboim, a 5-foot-4 defensive specialist from São Paulo, Brazil. Acherboim attended Colégio Ábaco in Sumaré and redshirted her freshman year at LMU.
The four additions mark the first spring recruiting class under Wright and represent an important step as the Roadrunners move forward under new leadership.
