After a strong 2024 fall season, high school girls volleyball on the South Shore had an even better one in 2025.

There were two local state-championship-winning teams on the court this year. Oliver Ames finished off the best season in program history by winning it’s first-ever Division 2 state title in it’s second ever appearance (which came last season). On the same day, East Bridgewater followed that up with a program-first of their own, winning it’s first-ever Division 4 state championship in it’s first appearance.

PORTLAND, Ore. — The Portland State volleyball program added an experienced setter to its 2026 roster in Asya Akbulut Tuesday.
 
Akbulut, a native of Ankara, Turkey, will be a senior for the Vikings this coming fall after spending her first three years at Southern Utah (one year) and Eastern Arizona (two years).

Akbulut led Southern Utah with 5.0 assists per set last season when she ranked seventh in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) in the category. As a sophomore at Eastern Arizona, Akbulut averaged 5.16 assists and 0.42 aces per set when she was named to the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference D1 All-Region First Team.

 

“Asya has the experience and skills to have an impact on our program immediately,” Portland State head volleyball coach Michael Seemann said. “She has reliable hands and location and understands how to put her hitters in good situations.”

 

Akbulut joins a setter group that includes returning starter Ava Blascziek and junior Elisabeth Levick.

 

2025 Big West Freshman of the Year

2025 All-Big West Second Team

2025 All-Big West Freshman Team

2025 AVCA Top Flight Award (Flight 5)

 

Long Beach State (2025): Named the Big West Freshman of the Year after an outstanding first season at Long Beach State … Earned Second Team All-Big west honors after going 20-5 in the fifth flight, earning an AVCA Top Flight Award … Posted a 28-10 record starting in all matches during her true freshman season … Earned nine wins over ranked opponents … Was the dual clinching point in the Big West Championship with Megan Widener.

 

Beach Volleyball: Played for Spiker Beach Volleyball … Won 3rd at Manhattan Beach BVCA and 1st at AVP Spiker Invitational.

 

High School: Played with Norco High School Indoor and Beach Volleyball…Was named to the Al-Academic League and First Team All-League in girl’s volleyball all three years … Earned Offensive Player of the Year three times … In Beach, earned First Team All-League and All-Academic Team honors as a junior.

 

Major: Kinesiology- Exercise Science

 

LBSU Career Record: 28-10

Record by Flight:

1:

2: 3-3

3: 4-0

4: 1-2

5: 20-5

The Supernovas signed 10 new players this offseason, including former Husker Merritt Beason.

The Nebraska All-American spent a season playing back home with the Atlanta Vibe and said being back in the “volleyball state” feels amazing.

“It’s already been so cool being back. I truly like believe that Nebraska has become my second home, and I felt that the minute that I stepped back into the state. And we all know that Nebraska loves their volleyball and Nebraska celebrates their volleyball players. So I’m just so excited to be back in that environment and in a state that’s like our biggest fans,” she said.

Beason will make her debut with the Supernovas on Thursday in Omaha’s season-opening match against San Diego Mojo.

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BEREA, Ohio – The Baldwin Wallace University men’s volleyball team, led by sixth-year head coach Kyle Mars, has been voted No. 15 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association Division III Preseason Poll and second in the Midwest Collegiate Volleyball League Preseason Coaches Poll.

AVCA

The Yellow Jackets ranked as high as No. 12 in the 2025 season after only receiving votes in the 2025 preseason poll. That was their highest ranking in program history. BW will start this season ranked ahead of every MCVL team. However, the Jackets will face six ranked non-conference opponents before they begin conference play; No. 17 St. John Fisher (N.Y.), No. 13 UC Santa Cruz (Calif.), No. 20 Misericordia (Pa.), No. 3 Juniata (Pa.), No. 5 Messiah (Pa.), and No. 16 Hobart (N.Y.).

MCVL

BW was ranked first in the preseason poll for the 2024 and 2025 seasons after winning the MCVL title in 2023 and losing in the MCVL postseason to the champion in 2024. The 2025 Yellow Jackets fell to the Mount Union Purple Raiders in the MCVL Championship 2-3. Mount Union is ranked first with 75 points and five first-place votes, and BW came in very closely behind with 74 points and three first-place votes. Wittenberg also received first-place votes with two while getting 68 points for third place. The Brown and Gold finished runner-up in the MCVL Championship with a 19-11 regular season record and 6-2 conference record in 2025.

2026 Midwest Collegiate Volleyball League Preseason Coaches Poll

 

Up Next

• Men’s volleyball will kick off their season at the Grove City (Pa.) College Tri-Match against Grove City and Elizabethtown (Pa.) in a double-header on Saturday, January 17.