LIVINGSTON, Ala. - The University of West Alabama volleyball team will welcome a pair of talented newcomers to Livingston for the 2026 season, as junior transfer
Ola Winiarek and incoming freshman
Charlotte Kerscher have been named to the 2026 Gulf South Conference Newcomers Watchlist.
Both players bring extensive championship experience to the Tigers, with Winiarek arriving from Central Arizona College and Kerscher making the move from Straubing, Germany.
Winiarek, an outside hitter, joins West Alabama as a junior transfer after helping Central Arizona College capture a regional championship in Utah in 2025. The Poland native has built an impressive résumé throughout her career, earning MVP honors at the 2020 Championships and the Junior Voivodeship Championship in 2023.
Winiarek was also named MVP of the quarterfinals at the Polish Junior Championship in both 2022 and 2023. She helped her teams earn gold medals at the Cadet Voivodeship Championship in 2021, 2022 and 2023, while also reaching the semifinals of the Polish Junior Championships in 2023. During the 2022-23 season, Winiarek finished ninth nationally in Poland in the junior category.
Her championship experience continued at the collegiate level, where she helped Central Arizona claim the 2025 regional championship. Winiarek now brings that experience and versatility to a West Alabama squad looking to make its mark in the Gulf South Conference.
Kerscher joins the Tigers as an incoming freshman from Straubing, Germany, where she has established herself as a standout libero. Kerscher has participated in seven German Championships during her career, including a third-place finish at the German Championships in 2022.
The defensive specialist has also enjoyed significant success at the Bavarian level. Kerscher was named the Most Valuable Player of the Bavarian Championship in 2022 and 2023, while helping her team capture the Bavarian Championship in 2023 and again in 2026.
Kerscher's experience extends to Germany's professional ranks, as she earned Player of the Match honors in the 2. Bundesliga Pro during the 2025-26 season. She also helped her team finish second in the 2. Bundesliga Pro in 2025-26.
With Winiarek's experience as an accomplished outside hitter and Kerscher's championship pedigree as a libero, the Tigers add two newcomers who have already demonstrated their ability to compete at a high level.
The 2026 GSC Newcomers Watchlist recognizes incoming student-athletes expected to make an immediate impact throughout the conference, and West Alabama's two selections give the Tigers a pair of players to watch as the 2026 season approaches.
