SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The Notre Dame Volleyball team signed three talented players during Wednesdayβs National Signing Day, head coach Salima Rockwell announced. Carla Mercado, Isabella Sangha and Portia Zeidler will all join the Irish for the 2026 season.
“We are thrilled to announce our 2026 recruiting class!” Rockwell said. “This is an extremely talented group of young women that will help take our program to the next level! They are amazing human beings and are the definition of what we look for in a student-athlete. Each of them embodies what it means to not only be a Notre Dame volleyball player, but a representative of Notre Dame. I cannot wait for this group to join us and to welcome them to our family!”
Mercado, who will come to South Bend from BayamΓ³n, Puerto Rico, is a libero. She earned gold at the Pan American Cup U17 and a silver at the NORCECA Championship U17 while representing Puerto Rico.
Rockwell on Mercado – “Carla is one of the best passing and defensive liberos in the class. She has an extremely quiet platform which allows her to control the ball at a very high level.”
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Welcome to Notre Dame, Carla!βοΈ#GoIrishβοΈ pic.twitter.com/03wGzPKOAr
β Notre Dame Volleyball (@NDvolleyball) November 12, 2025
Sangha will come to Notre Dame as a dual-sport athlete, signing to play both volleyball and womenβs basketball for the Irish. A native of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Sangha is ranked the 134th-best player in the country by PrepDig. The middle blocker has 266 kills this season for St. Thomas Aquinas this season and 65 total blocks.
Rockwell on Sangha – Β “It goes without saying that Isabella is an incredible athlete as sheβs playing both volleyball and women’s basketball here at Notre Dame! Sheβs an explosive middle blocker that moves fast from pin to pin and can hit over almost any block.”
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Welcome to Notre Dame, Isabella!βοΈ#GoIrishβοΈ pic.twitter.com/E9ErqKl4hP
β Notre Dame Volleyball (@NDvolleyball) November 12, 2025
Zeidler, from Los Gatos, California, will come to Notre Dame as a middle blocker but also has experience playing right side, where she has played the majority of her season at Los Gatos High School. She was ranked as the 43rd best overall player in California according to Prep Dig California State Rankings.
Rockwell on Zeidler – “Portia is a talented middle blocker that has a high reach and snap and an impressive block. Her upside is tremendous and I canβt wait to see her growth in our program.”
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Welcome to Notre Dame, Portia!βοΈ#GoIrishβοΈ pic.twitter.com/sYmjo0EnUa
β Notre Dame Volleyball (@NDvolleyball) November 12, 2025