CHARLESTON – With the 2025 pre-season underway, Head Coach Carry Brown and the Charleston Southern volleyball staff have been pleased with the seven new additions who joined the program this off-season.

#1 Emersyn Reiter | Outside Hitter | Freshman | 6’0″ | Mooresville, NC | Lake Norman High School

Of all seven new additions to this year’s VolleyBuc roster, no one has had their eyes set on being a Buccaneer longer than Emersyn Reiter. Reiter originally committed to play at Charleston Southern in April of 2024, and just a few months after that commitment, the Lake Norman High School star accumulated 222 kills, 71 digs, and 19 service aces during her senior campaign.

When asked about her true freshman outside hitter, Head Coach Carry Brown touched on the mental components Reiter brings to the program.

“Emersyn has a competitive fire that we need in a freshman. What she brings to our program is heart, passion, and a determination to improve. I have been waiting to coach her for a long time, now the moment is here… I know she will do great things here at CSU!”

#9 Ola Matusiak | Setter | Freshman | 6’2″ | Lódz, Poland | XXI B. Prusa High School

One of two Polish additions to the 2025 squad, Ola Matusiak has arrived in Charleston to begin her collegiate volleyball career. Before making her way to the United States for the first time this August, Matusiak collected highly competitive volleyball experience in her home country of Poland. Last year, she played for one of the Top-8 clubs in Poland’s 19U division (LKS Lódz). She also won the team championship and tournament MVP award in her Polish equivalent of a state (Lodzkie Voivodeship). 

Matusiak is also the tallest setter on record in Charleston Southern program history (6’2″). Head Coach Carry Brown made note of Matusiak’s size being one the strongest attributes her Polish freshman brings to the table entering this season.

“Ola’s height and hands will be great assets to our program… she collected a ton of experience playing top level and highly competitive volleyball in Poland.”

#10 Emma Bednarek | Middle Blocker | Junior | 6’3″ | Rosario, Argentina | Trinity Valley Community College

The tallest player on this year’s roster, Emma Bednarek arrived in the Lowcountry in the Spring of 2025. With her comes a wealth of on-court, collegiate volleyball experience. The Argentina-native played in 247 sets during her time at Trinity Valley Community College in Texas, and not only was she on the court, she was an impressive contributor on the stat sheet. As a sophomore, her 139 total blocks ranked 9th in the country (NJCAA Division 1) as well as 23rd in the hitting percentage category (0.335).

Bednarek’s physical attributes and history of being successful around the net were highlighted by her new head coach, Carry Brown.

“Emma brings size and a solid block to our program. She can attack any kind of set anywhere at the net. We have seen tremendous growth in her game after only being here for a few months.”

#12 Manon Braunsteffer | Middle Blocker | Senior | 6’2″ | Paris, France | Eastern Illinois

Another Spring 2025 addition, Manon Braunsteffer, has joined Coach Brown’s program after dominating the junior college ranks. During her two-year stint with the Monroe University Mustangs, Braunsteffer recorded 450 kills, 156 total blocks, and 68 digs, yet her most impressive statistic as an underclassman was her hitting percentage. In 2022, Braunsteffer led the nation (NJCAA Division 1) in the category posting a 0.438 mark on 484 attempts. Following that performance up in 2023, Braunsteffer again finished top-three in the country with a 0.397 mark on 406 tries.

Off of the volleyball court, Braunsteffer is also an avid traveler. Although one of her new teammates, Emma Bednarek, is the South American representative on the 2025 roster, Braunsteffer cited that portion of the globe as being home to one of her favorite recent travels, Lençóis Maranhenses National Park in Brazil.

When asked about what her French-blocker brings to the roster this season, Head Coach Carry Brown brought up several characteristics.

“Manon brings physical strength, a quick arm swing, and solid blocking ability to our front line. She is a true competitor who I’ve enjoyed seeing stack up against our other experienced players.”

#13 Cara McLean | Setter | Freshman | 6’0″ | Chicago, IL | Marist High School

A Chicago-native and Marist High School graduate, Cara McLean committed to play for Charleston Southern in March of 2025. 

Attention to detail and competitive energy were two of the areas Head Coach Carry Brown highlighted in regards to McLean.

“Cara’s is an outright competitor… her last year in high school, she led her program to a 4A state championship in Illinois. Her work ethic and attention to detail really rounds out our setter position group.”

#18 Laila Hilton | Opposite/Outside Hitter | Junior | 6’0″ | Denver, CO | Fort Valley State

Committing to the VolleyBucs back in February of this year, Laila Hilton is excited to finally be in the Holy City playing for Carry Brown‘s volleyball program. The Denver, Colorado native played her first two seasons down in South Georgia at Fort Valley State University. At FVSU, Hilton received valuable on-court experience as she appeared in 151 sets through the two seasons. As a freshman, her 167 kills ranked second on the 2023 Wildcat roster.

Hilton’s talent on the volleyball court, in addition to her academic excellence and history of volunteer leadership work, makes her an ideal addition to what Head Coach Carry Brown is building her program to be at Charleston Southern.

“My first thought when I think about Laila is how good of a teammate and person she is. She works endlessly to improve her skill set which sets a great example and helps her teammates do the same… her volleyball IQ and college volleyball experience on top of all that makes her an outstanding transfer addition to our program,” said Coach Brown.

#19 Oliwia “Liv” Durka | Opposite/Outside Hitter | Graduate | 6’2″ | Szczecin, Poland | Saint Leo University

The oldest of Coach Brown’s additions to the 2025 roster is Oliwia “Liv” Durka. Having played at nearly all levels of college volleyball (NC State, Dodge City Community College, and St. Leo University), Durka brings a wealth of experience to the Buc Dome. Most recently, as a senior at St. Leo, the Szczecin, Poland native ranked first on her team in kills (274) and third in both blocks (37) and service aces (27).

Durka has already noticeably taken freshman, Ola Matusiak under her wing as she herself was a true freshman from Poland just four years ago.

Experience was the number one quality highlighted by Head Coach Carry Brown when asked what Durka brings to this year’s group.

“Liv’s experience across all levels of college volleyball is going to be tremendously valuable for us. When crunch time situations arise this season, her detailed understanding of the game will be utilized.”

Charleston Southern will open the regular season on August 29th as they host the 2025 Buc Dome Invitational. Their first official match-up of the year will be at 12:30 PM against Loyola Maryland.

For all the most up-to-date coverage involving CSU Volleyball, follow us on Instagram and X/Twitter @csubucs_vb.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Indiana Wesleyan headlines the Top 25 Poll to kick off the 2025 women’s volleyball season after successfully defending its title in 2024. The Wildcats also received all 19 possible first-place votes. 

The 2025 women’s volleyball season officially starts on Friday, Aug. 15, when teams will begin their pursuit of winning the Battle for the Red Banner in Sioux City, Iowa. 

Receiving Votes: Columbia (Mo.) 62, Texas Wesleyan 52, Morningside (Iowa) 44, Grace (Ind.) 35, MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) 34, Dakota State (S.D.) 31, CIU (S.C.) 31, Park (Mo.) 31, Indiana Tech 29, Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) 21, Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) 18, Benedictine (Kan.) 18, Oregon Tech 17, Cornerstone (Mich.) 16, Bushnell (Ore.) 15, Reinhardt (Ga.) 15, Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) 10, Saint Xavier (Ill.) 8, Taylor (Ind.) 7, Rio Grande (Ohio) 7, Benedictine Mesa (Ariz.) 6, Cumberlands (Ky.) 6, St. Ambrose (Iowa) 5, Carroll (Mont.) 4, Valley City State (N.D.) 3, OUAZ (Ariz.) 2

Poll Methodology

• The national poll is for publicity purposes only and does not influence the selection process for national championship consideration.
• A panel of head coaches representing each conference and the Continental Athletic Conference (Independents) votes in the poll.
• The Top 25 teams are selected using a points-based system:
  • 30 points for a 1st-place vote, 29 for 2nd, 28 for 3rd, and so on.
• The highest and lowest rankings received by each team are discarded before final tallying.
• Teams receiving only one point are not listed as “receiving votes.”
• For the Preseason Poll, there is no “previous ranking” column since it is the initial poll and differs from the prior rating system. 

The Cardinal Mooney volleyball team has established itself as one of the premier programs in Southwest Florida since winning a state championship in 2019.

After graduating four seniors from last year’s 22-5 team that made it to a regional final, however, some might wonder if the Cougars can stay on top. 

That doubt could work in Cardinal Mooney’s favor this fall. 

“I think people are maybe expecting us to have a drop off, but I don’t think that’s going to happen this year,” senior setter Layla Larrick said. “We have a bunch of good talent. We just have to figure out how it’s going to mesh together.”

Cardinal Mooney graduated three of its top four hitters from last year in Izzy Russell, Riley Greene and Zoe Kirby as well as Katie Powers, the team leader in digs. 

That’s a tough loss for any team, but it could wind up creating a better, and more unpredictable offense for opposing teams to stop. 

There are talented returners to lead the transition. 

Charlee Hermann, a 6-foot-2 hitter who had the team’s second-most kills last season, is back along with the setter, Larrick and right side Sydney Sparma (fifth-most kills, third-most digs). 

Photo by Vinnie Portell

Another returner is Kelsey Fisher, a 5-foot-10 senior outside hitter who didn’t play indoor volleyball in 2024, but was a part of the beach volleyball team’s No. 1 pairing alongside Russell this past spring.

“My coach in Tampa (Jeff Lamp) and coach (Allan Knight) are best friends, and there was a little bit of talking going on,” Fisher said. “Indoor is my first love, and I decided to come back. It’s my last year, so I might as well have fun.”

Some newcomers have players and coaches excited as well. 

Sophomore Brooke Gruhl transferred in from Venice, where she had 697 assists last season for an Indians team that went 14-10 and made it to a regional final. 

Outside hitter Gracie Cody is the team’s only freshman, but is already turning heads.

“She’s honestly impressed me the most,” Larrick said of Cody. “I’ve never seen a more mature freshman before. She hits the ball really hard. She has a few mechanicals to work on, but once she gets those down, she’ll be a really good player when she gets older.”

With a mix of returners, newcomers, seniors and underclassmen, coach Knight views depth as the strength of his 2025 team.

It may take time, however, for Knight and his staff to figure out how these players work together and in what rotations.

“I think we have a lot of really good young talent on this team, but we’ve also picked up a few players from here and there, and that’s also strengthened our depth as well,” Knight said. “With our returning talent, our young developed talent and some new players on our squad, I think we’re right back where we were, as strong as ever.”

Photo by Vinnie Portell

Players have classes together, sit together at lunch, share jokes over team meals and constantly communicate via the team’s group chat.

“In our team group chat, we are already making jokes with each other and some of us have known each other for like a week,” Sparma said. “We are already very friendly with each other, which is a big part of a sport that involves a lot of communication with each other on the court.”

Knight will test his new team early and often.

Cardinal Mooney will play teams such as Port Charlotte (Class 5A state semifinals in 2024), Tampa Prep (2A Region-2 final in 2024), and play in the Nike Tournament of Champions in Gainesville, all within the first month of the season.

The district, however, will be the Cougars’ to lose.

District opponents include Avon Park (16-9 in 2024, lost to Cardinal Mooney 3-0 in district tournament), Lake Placid (9-15 in 2024) and Sarasota Military Academy (7-10 in 2024). 

If Cardinal Mooney can win that district, the regular season won’t matter much beyond being a test for another run at a regional championship.

“I think we are right on that same path that we were on last year,” Knight said. “It’s our goal to make it past our region and get to states, and I think this is the team that can do it, but we have a very competitive region. Some of our goals are very short-term and some are long-term. We want to get a feel of what we have and what’s going to work best for us.”

Women’s Volleyball | 8/12/2025 5:01:00 PM

August 12, 2025- As the school year moves closer, Emporia State volleyball begins training camp this week in preparation for their third season under head coach Ken Murczek.
 
The Hornets reported over the weekend and after team meetings and photo opportunities early this week will practice for the first time on Wednesday, August 13 at 9:30 a.m. with a second practice in the afternoon at 3:00 p.m. Practices for the first week will be held in the volleyball practice gym in the HPER Building.
 
Emporia State’s first action will come on Saturday, August 16 for the Washburn exhibition tournament in Topeka, KS. The Hornets will have an NCAA mandated off day on Monday, August 18 for the first day of classes before beginning their regular practice schedule through the regular season with practices at 3:00 p.m.
 
The Hornets will have two more exhibition tournaments before the regular season starts.  Emporia State will travel to Warrensburg, Mo. on Saturday, August 23 and to the Homefield Kansas City Kansas Showcase Center on Saturday, August 30.
 
The regular season will open with a trip to the West Coast on September 4-6 for the San Diego Invitational.  The Hornets will open the season against Point Loma on Thursday followed by games against Cal State San Bernardino on Friday and Northwest Nazarene on Saturday.  The home opener is set for Friday, September 26 against Missouri Western in White Auditorium.
 
Emporia State went 17-10 last season, their first winning season since 2014 and were the sixth seed in the MIAA Tournament.  The Hornets 17 wins are the most in a season for ESU since the 2013 season.
 
Emporia State Volleyball Training Camp and Exhibition Schedule

Eastern Illinois director of track & field James Gildon has announced the hiring of Roger An as an assistant coach with the Panthers team.

 

An comes to EIU after coaching the last four years at Mount St. Mary’s University in Maryland.   He will serve as EIU’s sprints and hurdles coach.

 

During four seasons coaching at Mount St. Mary’s An coached 36 All-Conference performers with 14 ECAC All-Region performers.

 

His athletes have continued to have success on the international level ranking in the United Kingdom national rankings along with athletes that competed at both the Pan American Games and Canadian Olympic Trials.

 

Prior to his time at Mount St. Mary’s, An coached one season at Amherst College preceded by two years at Lake Superior State as an assistant track coach. 

 

An holds a bachelor’s degree from The College of Wooster and a master’s degree from Southern Nazarene University.

 

He has had additional coaching and athletic department experiences at The College of Wooster, Southern Nazarene University, the North Coast Athletic Conference and Putnam City High School in Oklahoma.

By Chris Parker

Branson volleyball was a young team with just one senior last season, but that didn’t stop the Pirates from posting a winning record at 15-9-4.

“With having a younger team last year, these girls realized they can compete with anyone,” Branson head coach Francie McBride said. “We lost some close matches last year which has fueled their desire to be even more competitive this year.”

A wealth of experience including three all-conference players return this season.

Emma Skoglund, a William Penn commit, returns for her senior season. She led Branson in kills (273) and blocks (38) last season.

“Emma is a very driven player with a stellar work ethic,” McBride said. “She has put in countless hours in the off-season to be physically stronger and a better all-around volleyball player. Her commitment is unmatched, and she will be a steadfast leader for us this season. Emma can hit anywhere on the court and has a high volleyball IQ.”

Gigi McAdara earned second-team all-conference honors as a junior. She was second to Skoglund in both kills (217) and blocks (30) last season.

“Gigi has improved tremendously over the past few years,” McBride said. “She has great court awareness and uses her length to her advantage on offense. She is a versatile front-row player and has played all three positions the past two years and brings great experience.”

Kayden Butrum is the final returning all-conference player. The senior was named all-conference honorable mention after she led Branson in both digs (415) and serve receptions (411).

“Kayden is an excellent leader on and off the floor,” McBride said. “She spurs on our defense with her communication, high-level energy, and commitment and brings four-years of varsity experience.”

The final two returning seniors are Remington Holmes and Sarah Cox. Holmes is a team captain and a two-year letter winner. Cox is a utility player who brings energy, positivity and initiative to the program.

Juniors Erinn Swofford (setter), Joree McBride (OH/DS) and Bella Harmon also return. Swofford led the team in assists with 725 as a sophomore. McBride looks to be 100 percent healthy entering the season after fully recovering from a knee injury.

Several sophomores will look to find varsity time.

“We have a very athletic sophomore group this season who are expected to make an impact at the varsity level,” McBride said.

The roster is a close-knit one that has experience playing together.

“Our biggest strength is that these girls genuinely love playing the game of volleyball and they love playing it together and they want to see our program be successful,” Coach McBride said. “With how tight-knit they are I believe we are going to do big things and have lots of fun along the way.”

Branson travels to West Plains for a jamboree on Aug. 26. The jamboree will take place outside on the football field with Glendale and the host Zizzers. The Pirates open the regular season on Aug. 28 at Harrison (Ark.) before hosting their home invitational on Aug. 30.