The 2025 college volleyball season is right around the corner. Here are my top storylines for this season. 

1. Can Penn State go back-to-back in its new era?

Penn State ended last season back on top of college volleyball in a new era under Katie Schumacher-Cawley. We know the Nittany Lions had the biggest volleyball dynasty with four national titles in a row from 2007 to 2010. Now they bring in one of the best players in the country and look to rebuild while staying on top. 

2. Big expectations for Big Red

Nebraska heads into the season at the No. 1 spot, looking like the most dangerous lineup in the country. With a new head coach in Dani Busboom Kelly, can they live up to the hype? There are a lot of high hopes and expectations with one of the most talented lineups. 

alllll the angles from our fav red-white rally 🎥 #GBR pic.twitter.com/TM7vE8o8Gn

— Nebraska Volleyball (@HuskerVB) August 12, 2025

3. New season, new rosters

Multiple teams got an entirely new look in the transfer portal — the season is going to start fast and strong. It will be interesting to see how the rosters with players from all over the country gel with one another.

SEE MORE OFF-SEASON CHANGES:  Transfer portal recap

4. Marquee matchups in the first few weeks

We have incredible nonconference tournaments this year for the first time. So many top-10 matchups, top-25 matchups right out of the gates. Many of the top-10 teams. Many of the top-10 teams will probably have early records that will look a lot different than years past. 

OPEN SEASON: Check out the who, when and where kicking off the 2025 season

5. Restored and revamped rivalries 

It feels like we have some new fun matchups to keep an eye on, or old rivalries that have an added flair. With the rise of Texas A&M after last year’s run, that Texas vs. Texas A&M rivalry seems even more fun this year. How about Louisville vs. Kentucky — new stars on both teams. Then there’s Kentucky and Texas fighting for the top of the SEC. Or how about Penn State and Nebraska after the reverse sweep in the semifinals and as the preseason No. 1 and No. 2 teams. That one feels like it has some added value this season as well.

6. New portal additions projected to push UCLA toward the top

There is a lot of preseason talk about UCLA rebuilding from the portal. The Bruins have four national championships, but three were in the ’90s. This rebuild could be a push to bring UCLA back to the forefront of college volleyball.

𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐖𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐨𝐝, 𝐏𝐊! ✍️

The talented middle blocker with National Championship experience is officially in the Blue and Gold!#GoBruins pic.twitter.com/IbYjtlZes8

— UCLA Women’s Volleyball (@UCLAWomensVB) January 15, 2025

7. Fresh faces at the helm of college volleyball 

We have some new coaching eras beginning in 2025. Multiple legendary head coaches stepped down after 2024: John Cook, Ray Bechard, Mary Wise and more. We will embark on the new eras of Dani Busboom Kelly at Nebraska, Matt Ulmer at Kansas and Dan Meske at Louisville to name a few. 2025 feels like the start of a new era. 

8. Who’s the next big name? 

And finally: Who will emerge as superstars this season? Last year graduated a lot of very big shoes to fill, and we have high profile youngsters and freshmen to look forward to seeing on the court this season. Last year we saw names like Izzy Starck, a freshman, go on to win the national title. Who will be big-time this year? We have highly touted recruits like Abby Vander Wal at Texas or players like Stella Swenson at Minnesota who didn’t play last year.

So many question marks for this season — and what I feel like is the one of the most highly anticipated college volleyball seasons yet. .

Alex Obert has been appointed as the first-ever General Manager for men’s water polo at the University of the Pacific, marking a significant milestone in collegiate water polo. Obert is a three-time Olympian who graduated in 2016 with an engineering degree and brings a wealth of experience, including a bronze medal from the 2024 Olympics and multiple championships in international competition. His return to Pacific, under head coach James Graham’s leadership, is aimed at enhancing the program’s performance through a data-driven approach.

By the Numbers

• 2024 Olympic Games (Paris) – Bronze Medalist
• 2015 and 2019 Pan American Games – Gold Medalist

State of Play

• This role is the first of its kind in U.S. collegiate men’s water polo.
• Pacific’s 2025 season opens on August 30 in Providence, Rhode Island.

What’s Next

With Obert’s appointment, anticipate new strategies focusing on data analysis and athlete development as the men’s water polo team aims for greater success in upcoming competitions.

Bottom Line

Obert’s combination of athletic excellence and professional insight is poised to elevate Pacific’s water polo program, potentially changing the landscape of collegiate sports management.

BOCA RATON, Fla. — The Florida Atlantic women’s soccer team opens the 2025 season in the Flagler Credit Union Stadium against Loyola (MD) on Thursday evening before hitting the road. The Owls will then travel to Orlando to take on the Knights on Sunday, Aug. 17, at 6 p.m.

The Greyhounds will also open their season in Paradise on Thursday evening, while the Knights will travel to Birmingham, Ala., to take on another American opponent, the Blazers of UAB, on opening night. 

On Thursday, the gates will open at 6 p.m. There will be a fan zone with games such as teqball, mini soccer, and more prior to the match. Fans will also have the chance to win two Universal Studios tickets. Concessions will be opened for fans on the deck of the stadium. The parking garage will be closed during the match. Guests are encouraged to park in lot 5. The team will be available for postgame autographs at the conclusion of the match. 

ABOUT THE OWLS

• Head Coach Patrick Baker enters his 13th season at the helm for the Owls. Baker is one of the top 40 winningest active Division I women’s soccer head coaches.
• The Owls enter their third season in the American Conference.
• Defender Daniella Diaz, midfielder Morgan McDonald, and forward Michelle Horan were named the Owls’ three players to watch by the American.
• FAU has 12 newcomers on the roster for the upcoming season.
• Additions to the coaching staff consist of former player Kat Cunningham, who stayed in Paradise as an assistant coach to kick off her coaching career. Additionlly, Jeremy Hampton was promoted to associate head coach.
• 2024 assists leader Horan returns to complete her college career with seven, which leads the team in that category.

ABOUT THE GREYHOUNDS

• This season marks the 14th season of Head Coach Joe Mallia at the helm for Loyola (MD).
• The Greyhounds were picked to finish fifth in the Patriot League out of ten teams.
• Defender Zoe Willis was named in the 2025 Preseason All-Patriot League
• As an addition to the staff for Loyola, Dallas Fiszel joins Mallia and Emma Steiner in Baltimore after spending two seasons at Florida Gulf Coast.
• Junior Brigid Mulholland returns after being the starting goalkeeper in the 2024 season. Mulholland recorded 19 starts with 62 saves and seven shutouts on the year.
• For the 2025 season, the Greyhounds have five goalkeepers, nine defenders, six midfielders, and 11 forwards.

ABOUT THE KNIGHTS

• Head Coach Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak enters her 13th season at the helm for the Knights. 
• Roberts Sahaydak will begin the season with 121 career wins.
• UCF will open its season on Thursday night against UAB in Birmingham.
• The Knights will face back-to-back American Conference opponents to open the 2025 season.
• UCF was picked to finish 12th out of 16 teams in the Big 12’s annual Preseason Coaches’ Poll.

SERIES HISTORY

• The Owls and Greyhounds currently hold a 1-1 record.
• Thursday’s matchup marks the third time these two programs have played in Paradise. In the last match on Aug. 29, 2003, the Owls won 2-1 in overtime.
• FAU returns to Orlando after two years to take on the Knights. 
• It will be the 26th time FAU has faced UCF in program history.
• The Owls are seeking their first win in Orlando in program history. 

TICKETS
To purchase tickets for the match, visit ticketmaster.com

SCHEDULE

For the full 2025 women’s soccer schedule, click HERE.

ROSTER

For the full 2025 women’s soccer roster, click HERE.

FOLLOW THE OWLS

To stay up to date on all things Florida Atlantic women’s soccer, follow FAU on social media @FAUWSoccer.

LONG BEACH, Calif. – Daryana Hall was one of two student-athletes chosen from the Big West to take part in the NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum, a program designed by the NCAA to help further develop leadership skills, focusing on their values, strengths and leadership philosophy which will then translate to their athletic and academic responsibilities.
 
“I’m very excited and grateful to have the opportunity to represent the big west as well as Long Beach State at the NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum,” said Hall. “I’m looking forward to developing my leadership skills professionally and athletically. This forum will give me the opportunity to learn more about the inner workings of NCAA and create new connections with individuals from other institutions and conferences. The knowledge I gain from this experience will help me become a better leader on campus.”
 
Hall has been the president of the Long Beach State Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) for the last two years and has been very involved in campus leadership and volunteer efforts in addition to her success on the track as a sprinter. Actively involved in both SAAC and the Student-Athlete Leadership Council, she has helped build a connection with campus student government. Hall attended both the Leadership at the Beach Conference as well as the 2025 Black Student Athlete Summit and was the student liaison for a mental health panel presented by Long Beach State Sports Medicine. She’ll be joined by the conference’s male representative, Tate Meaux of UC Santa Barbara Track and Field.
 
The NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum provides a diverse and dynamic representation of student-athletes, coaches, and administrators with a transformational opportunity to build a leadership toolkit and develop vital self-awareness that allows them to realize their potential. Participants leave the program with invaluable leadership skills, the experience of exploring the relationship between personal values, core beliefs and behavioral styles, and an understanding of the NCAA as a whole, the different divisional perspectives and the valuable role of Student-Athlete Advisory Committees (SAAC). The Student-Athlete Leadership Forum also creates a close personal support network of like-minded peers to provide continued connection and dialogue after the program concludes.
 
Sponsored by the NCAA, the forum will take place over the course of four days in November in Dallas.