The 2025 faculty volleyball season is sort of right here, aiming to construct off a stellar yr for the game that noticed its viewers develop. The 2024 title sport between Penn State and Louisville drew greater than 1.3 million viewers, making it the second-most watched championship sport on-record for Division I ladies’s volleyball.
A pair of groups that competed in final season’s Closing 4 will face off on Friday, when No. 1 Nebraska hosts No. 3 Pitt. Two different hopeful contenders, No. 16 Florida and No. 6 Stanford, may also conflict within the AVCA First Serve. Each video games will likely be televised by FOX.
A lot has modified within the sport since final December due to the switch portal and training shifts. Dani Busboom Kelly left Louisville to guide her alma mater, Nebraska, into its subsequent period. SMU and Wisconsin had been each huge switch portal winners, whereas probably the most consequential mover was most likely two-time All-American Torrey Stafford going to Texas from Pitt.
Forward of the season starting, right here’s the ten squads that appear to be contenders heading into the autumn.
Welcome to SB Nation’s NCAA volleyball energy rankings:
Simply missed: Arizona State, Oregon, UCLA, Florida, Texas A&M
The Bluejays will work out early whether or not they’ll sink or swim this season, as they open their schedule with three ranked groups: Penn State, Texas and Kansas. Creighton grew to become a relentless within the postseason beneath former longtime coach Kirsten Bernthal Sales space, and it’s now aiming to make its 14th consecutive NCAA Event this season beneath first-year coach Brian Rosen. Creighton returns three starters from final season’s workforce that went to the Elite Eight and in addition added just a few key transfers in Cal setter Annalea Maeder and Wisconsin libero Saige Damrow.
The Wildcats made the Elite Eight of the NCAA Event final season earlier than their season was ended by Pitt. Kentucky will likely be a workforce that goals to rack up kills once more as they convey again SEC Participant of the Yr Brooklyn DeLeye and pairing her with Purdue switch Eva Hudson, who led the Massive Ten with 4.81 kills per set. Center blocker Lizzie Carr additionally involves Kentucky from Purdue, and libero Molly Berezowitz joins the Wildcats from Marquette.
The Mustangs’ debut season within the ACC was a robust one as they went 25-8 and notched spectacular victories over the likes of Nebraska, Baylor, Georgia Tech and Pitt. Guided by coach Sam Erger — an SMU alumna who agreed to a contract extension in December — the Mustangs superior to the second spherical of the NCAA Event. Within the offseason, SMU reloaded, bringing in Favor Anyanwu and Jadyn Livings from USC, Colorado State reverse hitter Malaya Jones, Auburn exterior hitter Madison Scheer, Texas setter Averi Carlson, and Jordyn Schilling — who was the Massive South Libero of the Yr at Excessive Level. On paper, the Mustangs appear to have one of the gifted rosters within the nation.
The Badgers superior to not less than the Elite Eight for the seventh consecutive season in 2024 and spent the offseason constructing a roster that appears able to one other deep postseason run. Coach Kelly Sheffield introduced in three key transfers in Miami reverse hitter Grace Lopez, Oregon exterior hitter Mimi Colyer and Ohio State exterior hitter Grace Egan. Robust returners are nonetheless with the Badgers too, a bunch that’s headlined by among the finest center blockers within the nation in 6-foot-7 Carter Sales space. Surrounded by gifted gamers, there’s a chance for sophomore setter Charlie Fuerbringer to emerge too.
Torrey Stafford was arguably the perfect participant obtainable within the switch portal. A gifted and confirmed exterior hitter from Pitt, she led all Energy 4 exterior hitters with a .358 hitting share and she or he’ll be an enormous enhance to the Texas offense. A number of of us even have excessive expectations for incoming 6-foot-3 freshman Abby Vander Wal, who piled up accolades in highschool and was touted by many as the perfect highschool recruit in her class. Along with these spectacular additions, returners Ramsey Gary, Anja Kujundzic and Emma Halter return to anchor the protection. Winners of 5 nationwide titles, Texas misplaced within the Candy 16 final season.
Like Vander Wal at Texas, Logan Parks is a freshman with loads of hype for Stanford as she was the Gatorade Participant of the Yr in Kansas and an Underneath Armour All-American. A longtime energy within the sport, an NCAA Division I volleyball event has by no means been performed with out Stanford in it. Nevertheless, the Cardinal hasn’t made a Closing 4 since 2019. Followers ought to be capable of inform fairly early whether or not Stanford has the potential to interrupt that drought, because the Cardinal will face Florida, Nebraska, Texas, Missouri and UCLA in non-conference play.
Is that this the yr that Dan Fisher’s Panthers lastly break by and seize a nationwide title? Pitt has reached the Closing 4 in 4 consecutive seasons however hasn’t been capable of attain the championship sport. Whereas Torrey Stafford is gone, a number of different gifted Panthers are nonetheless right here, together with reigning Nationwide Participant of the Yr Olivia Babcock and among the finest center blockers within the nation in Bre Kelly. Libero Mallorie Meyer is again too after a robust freshman marketing campaign and Emery Dupes arrives by way of the switch portal from Florida State.
With Dani Busboom Kelly again at Nebraska, Dan Meske takes the reins of the Cardinals now after they performed within the nationwide title sport for the second time in three seasons. A number of gifted gamers return for Louisville, together with ACC Freshman of the Yr Nayelis Cabello, who has rapidly established herself as among the finest setters within the nation. AVCA All-American center blocker Cara Cresse can also be again. Bolstering Louisville’s lineup is Purdue switch Chloe Chicoine, a do-it-all second workforce All-Massive Ten choice who was a giant purpose why the Boilermakers made the Candy 16 final season.
En path to profitable the nationwide title final season — their eighth — the Nittany Lions ranked second nationally in each kills and assists per set. Penn State returns a bunch of gifted gamers who’re desirous to defend that championship, together with arguably the perfect setter within the nation and the Nationwide Freshman of the Yr, Izzy Starck. All-Massive Ten gamers Gillian Grimes and Caroline Jurevicius additionally return. Incoming for Penn State by way of the switch portal are Ohio State’s Emmi Sellman and two-time All-American Kennedy Martin. Underneath the path of Katie Schumacher-Cawley, Penn State has the potential to repeat as nationwide champs.
The five-time nationwide champs are anticipated by many to seize a sixth this season in what will likely be Dani Busboom Kelly’s first yr on the helm of this system following the retirement of John Prepare dinner. No gamers transferred out of this system and Nebraska returns a roster that options three All-Individuals and the No. 2 recruiting class of 2025. Headlining the returners is Bergen Reilly, the reigning two-time Massive Ten Setter of the Yr. Among the many seven rookies is 6-foot-5 Virginia Adriano, who performed professionally in Italy. One pickup Nebraska did make within the portal was getting exterior hitter Allie Sczech from Baylor. The Huskers’ roster is among the many most gifted within the nation, greater than able to capturing a championship.
