GREENVILLE, S.C. – Furman head volleyball coach Michelle Young has announced the addition of three newcomers who will be joining the Paladins beginning with the 2026 season.

The 2026 newcomers consist of Morgan Baldridge, Tiffany Helmer, and Olivia Peterson. The three student-athletes hail from the states of Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

"We are happy to welcome these three exciting players," stated Young, who will be entering her 27^th season in Greenville in 2026. "They will be a great addition to a veteran team. We look for them to add depth as well as compete to play as freshmen. They are wonderful young ladies and we are so happy to have them here at Furman."

Baldridge is a 5-10 setter from Brevard, N.C., where she played for head coach Sammy Pressley at Brevard High School. She finished her prep career with 3,000 assists and won a state championship during her sophomore season. Baldridge is a two-time all-conference selection, has been named to the AVCA Watch List, and participated in the National Team Development Program. On the AAU circuit, she earned All-American accolades in 2023 and garnered MVP honors at the Southeast Qualifier as a junior. Baldridge also played flag football in high school and won an NFL Flag Football tournament championship in 2024. She is the daughter of Ed and Meredith Baldridge.

Helmer is a 5-7 libero/defensive specialist from Greenville, where she played for head coach Jan Carino at St. Joseph's Catholic School. She played on three state championship teams at St. Joseph's and captured three consecutive region titles. Helmer lettered five years in volleyball and wrapped up her career as the program's all-time digs leader while being named to the JVA Watch List. A two-time team captain, she was the region player of the year this season while earning all-state, all-region and team MVP honors, and participated in the North-South All-Star Game. Helmer finished the year third in the state in digs and eighth in service aces. She garnered all-region and defensive MVP citations as a sophomore and junior and was the team MVP during her junior season. On the AAU circuit, she played for Stars Carolinas and won a 17U national championship. Helmer also lettered in basketball and is a 1,000-point scorer and five-time all-region selection. She is the daughter of Rob and Bridget Helmer.

Peterson is a 5-8 defensive specialist/outside hitter from Jupiter, Fla., where she played for head coach Joy VanDyke at Cardinal Newman High School. She boasts over 800 kills throughout her prep career to go with 500-plus digs, and nearly 150 service aces as Cardinal Newman combined for a 37-14 record over the past two seasons. Peterson competed on three teams that have played in the district finals and two in the regional semifinals. She compiled over 230 kills, 160 digs, and 30 service aces in each of the past three seasons. Peterson also played beach volleyball at Cardinal Newman. She is the daughter of Bryce and Venessa Peterson.

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