Women's Volleyball

La Verne Tabbed to Unseat CMS in Volleyball Preseason Poll

Authors of the conference’s joint-longest regular season title runs, the University of La Verne and nine-time reigning champion Claremont-Mudd-Scripps have been tabbed to duke it out atop the 2025 SCIAC Women’s Volleyball Preseason Poll, as voted by the league’s head coaches.
 
The Leopards fell just one match shy of toppling the Athenas last fall but won on the big stage to claim their first SCIAC Tournament trophy since the competition began in 2009, the year after fashioning their own nine-year regular season streak. A Preseason All-America candidate, 2023 SCIAC  Offensive Athlete of the Year Mya Ray, returns for a final run alongside other front-row threats in Zacky Coaston (Second Team All-SCIAC), Lauren Gott (2023 First Team All-SCIAC) and Kimi Watanabe-Mayhew (2024 SCIAC Newcomer of the Year).
 
Meanwhile, CMS must reload after the graduation of four multiple-time All-Conference players. The lone returning honoree as a First Team selection, Brooke McKee will be looking to continue a late-career breakout after notching 3.90 kills per set and 43 aces while Shae Delany also contributed 2.26 kills and 2.87 digs per set to go with 36 aces. Solvej Eversoll provided a solid presence at the net with 1.06 blocks per set.
 
One of just two three-time All-SCIAC selections alongside Ray, Paige Mountanos smacked 3.55 kills per set while Corrina Benson, the most experienced returning libero in the conference, made 4.28 digs per set and served up 42 aces.
 
Whittier College welcomes back Mia D’Amato at middle blocker, where the 2023 Newcomer of the Year made 1.11 blocks per set with 2.09 kills per set. Rotation ever-presents Sofia Zazueta and Malena The comprise a strong front row. Keegan Corley is another experienced libero who posted 4.99 digs per set for California Lutheran University, which has kept star Kira Mortensen around on the coaching staff this season. The All-SCIAC Second Team duo of Olivia Harrison and Olivia Sampson carry the attacking load for Chapman University, while Emma Murphy made a solid impact as a rookie with 2.17 kills per set for the University of Redlands.
 
Occidental College and Caltech each bring back their six-rotation standouts in Ariana Carranza, who averaged 2.60 kills and 2.95 digs per set for the Tigers, and Alize Bakker, whose 2.78 kills and 3.06 digs per set top Caltech’s returners.
 
 
2025 SCIAC Volleyball Preseason Poll
1. La Verne, 79 points (seven first-place votes)
2. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, 72 pts (2)
3. Pomona-Pitzer, 59 pts
4. Whittier, 51 pts
5. California Lutheran, 44 pts
6. Chapman, 39 pts
7. Redlands, 31 pts
8. Occidental, 17 pts
9. Caltech, 13 pts

 

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