2025 SLIAC Volleyball Poll

After going 21-10 overall and winning a second straight SLIAC Tournament Greenville University edged out the top spot in the preseason poll. Greenville received 45 points in the voting, grabbing five first-place votes. The Panthers will form their lineup around a quartet of returners. Abby Grohmann was one of two players in the league to top 400 kills last year while Mia de Jesus and Lainey Hicks form one of the top middle pairs in the league after combining for 194 blocks. Emma Ratermann returns to run the offense after recording a league leading 9.68 assists per set one year ago. Top newcomers for head coach Tom Ackermann are Sierrah Downey and Kennedy Legendre.

Just behind in the voting was Westminster College with 44 points and three first-place votes. The Blue Jays were 18-16 overall last year and will be led by reigning SLIAC Player of the Year Kylie Hasselbacher. The senior tallied 392 kills and 59 blocks one year ago and will be joined in the attack by three-time All-Conference pick Meghan Nolte. Haylie Schnake was a Third Team All-Conference selection last year and led the league with 617 digs. Paige Rowland and Katelynn Jackson return to fill their outside roles for head coach Dalton Tucker. Among the new faces to keep an eye on will be Landrey Van Overschelde, Sam Hansen, and Kellie Overturf.

League coaches feel a bounce back year is in store for Webster University, who tallied 37 points in the voting. Webster was 14-17 overall but gained plenty of experience last season with their youth movement. Head Coach Merry Graf returns 15 players including four starters. Eva Tarlos, a middle hitter, was named the SLIAC Freshman of the Year and Second Team All-Conference last season. She is joined by Third Team All-Conference picks Grace White and Jaycee Lewis. Top newcomers include a pair of transfers that are familiar faces that join from Fontbonne University in Riley Watson and Maddie Bock.

Lyon College comes in fourth in the voting after picking up 32 points. Head Coach Kortney Cunningham led the team to a 20-9 overall record and return nearly their entire starting lineup while adding 12 new faces to the program. Among the returners are Mollie McCoy and Keeley Beary. McCoy was a Second Team All-Conference pick last fall while Beary was fifth on the team in kills. Look for Ryan Russell and Reyliegh Twist to work their way into the lineup.

Spalding University received 27 points from league coaches, putting them fifth in the poll. The Golden Eagles are coached by Taryn Glass and were 12-16 overall last season. It will be a new look team as they return just two starters while bringing in 12 freshmen. Among the freshmen looking to make an impact are Harper Johnson, Paloma Martinez, Sophi Reynolds, and Tia Terpening.

Coming in sixth on the poll is Eureka College with 17 points. Head Coach Candace Van Bogaert returns every starter from last year's team that finished 4-18 overall. Alyssa Company was a Second Team All-Conference selection last year after leading the team with 246 kills. Brooklyn Shell returns after tallying 121 kills, while Hallee Gauna put up 157 kills. New faces looking to play roles are Kaitlyn Robinson and Colby Grieff.

Blackburn College tallied 15 points, putting them seventh on the poll. The Beavers are under the direction of Shannon Bishop, who led the Beavers to a 6-22 overall record in her first season at the helm. She has a couple of pieces to build her lineup around in Kenadee Frey and Zoe Mitchell. Frey is the on-court leader at her setter position, where she topped 1,000 career assists as a sophomore last year. Mitchell recorded 144 kills while finishing second on the team in hitting percentage last fall. Maddie Sidwell, Elexus Frey, Rylea Black, Marissa Perez, and Makenah Dugan are newcomers who will see time in the rotation.