Colorado University Athletics
Colorado Volleyball Adds Jenna Ylivainio to 2026 Roster
July 27, 2026 | Volleyball
Rising senior setter Ylivainio will join the Buffs roster ahead of the 2026 season
BOULDER – The Colorado volleyball team has signed rising senior setter Jenna Ylivainio (Hämeenlinna, Finland/VC Kanti Schaffhausen) to the 2026 roster, head coach Jesse Mahoney announced on Monday, July 27.
A 6-0 setter, Ylivainio has played for three clubs in Finland. She played for Hämeenlinnan Lentopallokerho from 2018-2023 and then again from 2024-2025. She and her club finished second in the Finnish Mestaruusliiga in both the 2018-19 season and 2022-23 season, and they earned first place in the Finnish Cup in 2022-23. In 2023-24, she played for Oriveden Ponnistus, and most recently for Charleroi Volley in 2025-2026.
"We're excited to welcome Jenna to Colorado," head coach Jesse Mahoney stated. "She brings a level of maturity that comes with competing internationally and playing against high-level competition at a young age. She's a skilled setter with great court awareness, makes good decisions, and has the ability to put her teammates in positions to succeed. We think her experience and competitive mindset will make an immediate impact on our program, and we're excited to see how she complements our returning group."
Ylivainio also has experience on the Finnish National Team, making her one of five Buffs with consistent national team competition under their belt (Ana Burilovic, Maria Splawska, Inés Losada, Barbora Rakauskaite). Colorado will enter the 2026 season with six international athletes, the last of whom is Dumebi Okoye.
Though she is a late addition to the Buffs' quickly approaching season, Ylivainio is excited to get to Boulder and start contributing in the gym.
"CU offers amazing facilities to help me improve as a player and as a person," Ylivainio stated. "The staff is experienced, and after talking with them, I already feel welcomed. I can't wait to meet the team as well!"
First serve of the Buffs 2026 season will occur on Aug. 28 against Cal State Northridge in CU Events Center at 6 p.m. MT. Fans can view the full schedule online as well as purchase tickets. This year, Colorado is also celebrating 40 years of Colorado Volleyball, with a commemorative logo and reunions announced at the end of May.
Under head coach Jesse Mahoney, Colorado finished the 2025 season 23-9 and went 12-6 against Big 12 opponents. Coach Mahoney has led the Buffs to a 164-135 record in his 10 seasons at the helm. Last year, the Buffs made their 22nd appearance in the NCAA tournament, sweeping American in the first round before falling to four-seed Indiana in the second round, CU's 12th second round appearance in program history. Colorado had 23 wins last season, marking the program's 13th 20-win season, its first since 2022, while also setting marks for the most wins in a season since 2017 and tied for the third-most wins in a season in program history.
For more information on the Colorado volleyball team, please visit cubuffs.com/vb. Fans of the Buffs can follow @cubuffsvb on Instagram, X, and Facebook.
A 6-0 setter, Ylivainio has played for three clubs in Finland. She played for Hämeenlinnan Lentopallokerho from 2018-2023 and then again from 2024-2025. She and her club finished second in the Finnish Mestaruusliiga in both the 2018-19 season and 2022-23 season, and they earned first place in the Finnish Cup in 2022-23. In 2023-24, she played for Oriveden Ponnistus, and most recently for Charleroi Volley in 2025-2026.
"We're excited to welcome Jenna to Colorado," head coach Jesse Mahoney stated. "She brings a level of maturity that comes with competing internationally and playing against high-level competition at a young age. She's a skilled setter with great court awareness, makes good decisions, and has the ability to put her teammates in positions to succeed. We think her experience and competitive mindset will make an immediate impact on our program, and we're excited to see how she complements our returning group."
Ylivainio also has experience on the Finnish National Team, making her one of five Buffs with consistent national team competition under their belt (Ana Burilovic, Maria Splawska, Inés Losada, Barbora Rakauskaite). Colorado will enter the 2026 season with six international athletes, the last of whom is Dumebi Okoye.
Though she is a late addition to the Buffs' quickly approaching season, Ylivainio is excited to get to Boulder and start contributing in the gym.
"CU offers amazing facilities to help me improve as a player and as a person," Ylivainio stated. "The staff is experienced, and after talking with them, I already feel welcomed. I can't wait to meet the team as well!"
First serve of the Buffs 2026 season will occur on Aug. 28 against Cal State Northridge in CU Events Center at 6 p.m. MT. Fans can view the full schedule online as well as purchase tickets. This year, Colorado is also celebrating 40 years of Colorado Volleyball, with a commemorative logo and reunions announced at the end of May.
Under head coach Jesse Mahoney, Colorado finished the 2025 season 23-9 and went 12-6 against Big 12 opponents. Coach Mahoney has led the Buffs to a 164-135 record in his 10 seasons at the helm. Last year, the Buffs made their 22nd appearance in the NCAA tournament, sweeping American in the first round before falling to four-seed Indiana in the second round, CU's 12th second round appearance in program history. Colorado had 23 wins last season, marking the program's 13th 20-win season, its first since 2022, while also setting marks for the most wins in a season since 2017 and tied for the third-most wins in a season in program history.
For more information on the Colorado volleyball team, please visit cubuffs.com/vb. Fans of the Buffs can follow @cubuffsvb on Instagram, X, and Facebook.
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