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The 2025 Marquette Volleyball Season Preview: The Newcomers

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Hello and welcome back to our preview of the 2025 Marquette women’s volleyball season! We’ve already talked about the returning players from the 2024 roster already, so if you haven’t read that yet, head over thisaway and knock that out. There’s a lot of valuable context in there — or maybe a lack of context by way of not much to talk about? — that sets us up to talk about the new faces on the roster over here.

Let’s jump right on into it, because we’ve got a pretty big newcomer to the program to start with……

Yep, Marquette has a new head coach this season. Ryan Theis left to take the Florida head coaching job after racking up a 258-87 record with MU and establishing himself as the best and most successful coach in program history. His replacement is Tom Mendoza, who comes to Milwaukee after seven seasons at South Carolina. He posted a record of 47-18 in two seasons at High Point, his first stop as a head coach, before going 106-90 with the Gamecocks. Mendoza took South Carolina to the NCAA tournament four times in his time there, including in 2024, and that was with a 7-9 record in an SEC with five top 25 teams in the final poll of the year. Not only did Marquette pull a guy away from an SEC job with a budget north of $2 million a year, but they also snagged a coach with up close and personal experience at winning in the Big East. Before he went to High Point, Mendoza was an assist for six years at Creighton, and his last three seasons there were the Bluejays’ first three in the Big East.

He’s assigned a tall task: Don’t let the program slip. We’ll have to see what the long arc of history has to say about Tom Mendoza’s time at Marquette, but even if this season is maaaaaybe not up to the standards of the last four or so years of Theis’ run, the every year goal of “this is a tournament capable team” should be within reach, both in 2025 and in the long term.

And now, onto the new players on the roster, most of which Tom Mendoza has actually inherited from Ryan Theis’ recruiting, although I think it’s important to start with someone that Mendoza has definitely brought in……

Marquette announced the addition of two transfers on May 28th, nearly three months after Tom Mendoza was announced as the new head coach. It’s safe to say that these women were brought in specifically because Mendoza saw a need to at least bolster the depth at their positions. In the case of Allie Korba (5’9”, #6, Arlington Heights, Illinois), however, I’m pretty sure that she was brought in to start at setter immediately. Korba was the 2024 MAC Setter of the Year after averaging 9.02 assists per set for Central Michigan. She did this under the guidance of then-CMU assistant and now-Marquette assistant Stef Jankiewicz, and if you want to straight up say that Marquette poached Korba from CMU because Mendoza hired Jankiewicz, knock yourself out, because that is 100% what it looks like. If you can grab a Setter of the Year from another conference for her fourth and final year of eligibility, you do it.

A primary reason why that might have happened? Marquette doesn’t have an experienced setter on the roster otherwise. I told you to go read that look at the returning players! Calli Kenny is the only person returning listed as a setter, and she’s actually listed as a setter/defensive specialist/right side hitter, which is less than encouraging about the chances that she’s going to set for the Golden Eagles. Before Korba came in, MU’s only other option at setter for this fall was freshman Isabela Haggard (5’11”, #3, Lexington, Kentucky), who joined the team for spring semester before Theis took the Florida job. That means that Haggard was Marquette’s setter for their spring matches, so even though Mendoza did not recruit Haggard to Marquette, he’s gotten enough of a look at what she can do to know whether or not she’s ready to go as a freshman this fall. Nothing against her, it just seems like the answer was clearly “hey, let’s give you a chance to settle in” at the very least. Haggard is clearly a heck of an athlete, earning all-state honors three times in Kentucky in high school for volleyball on her way to being ranked #65 in the country by Prep Dig and also winning a state title in the long jump as a freshman. Her triple jump personal record would be good enough for 9th on Marquette’s Division 1 all-time list, so I’m not saying that track & field coach Bert Rogers should work hard at seeing if she wants to compete, but I am saying that he should ask nicely.

I said that Tom Mendoza added two transfers in late May, so we may as well move from Korba to the other Mendoza recruit. That’s Julia Stanev (6’3”, #1, Reggio Emilia, Italy), who comes to Marquette after two seasons at Eastern Illinois. While appearing in 54 matches for the Panthers, she averaged 0.96 blocks per set, and that’s actually a dip down from a 1.04 clip as a freshman in 2023 when EIU qualified for the NCAA tournament. That’s good! She had a rough sophomore season, which caused her hitting percentage to drop from .293 in 2023 to just .209 in 2024. EIU had a rough 2024 as a team, finishing 9-19 overall. Short version: Good freshman year on NCAA tournament team, kind of ugly-ish sophomore year on a team that went 5-13 in the Ohio Valley Conference. If Stanev can play up to the level of her teammates around her, then that bodes pretty well for how she might fit in with a Golden Eagles program that should be setting their sights on a Big East championship.

Stanev will be Marquette’s second most experienced middle in 2025 behind only Hattie Bray, but there’s going to at least be a competition for who gets the #2 MB spot. Morgan Daugherty is returning and has shown flickers of being able to contribute while playing behind Bray and Carsen Murray the past couple of years, and we have to consider the possibility that Keira Schmidt (6’3”, #7, Eagan, Minnesota) might be able to make a case for herself. Schmidt was a spring semester enrollee, so she was able to play for Mendoza in the spring schedule. I don’t know how that may or may not have impacted the decision to go out and bring in Stanev, but MU needed depth anyway because this fall will be Hattie Bray’s last year with the Golden Eagles. Schmidt comes in as the #86 prospect in the country in the 2025 recruiting class, so it’s safe to say that she can do some stuff. Her official team bio isn’t overloaded with information that makes you sit up and take notice, but the Prep Dig scouts are much smarter than me when it comes to volleyball. Is “top 100 prospect” enough to push her into regular playing time this year, or are we going to have to wait til 2026?

Defensive Specialist/Libero

I’m going to save hitter til the end, because figuring out who’s going to play libero for Marquette is kind of a critical question. Adriana Studer is Marquette’s only returning defensive specialist, and without getting into anything resembling criticism, we can point out that she hasn’t been Marquette’s primary libero to this point of her three years with the Golden Eagles. With that being the case, there’s a decent chance that one of the three new defensive specialists could jump Studer in line. Allyson Eckel (5’7”, #2, Kenosha, Wisconsin) shoots to the front of the line in that regard merely by being a transfer that Ryan Theis brought in for the spring semester. With that said, she wasn’t a “we’ve got to play her under all circumstances” player for Middle Tennessee, as she played in just 46 of the Blue Raiders’ 61 matches in her two years there. Eckel averaged 1.59 digs per set across her two seasons of action, but I suspect the “didn’t come close to playing in every set” thing might have created an artificial cap to her average. If you’re not on the floor for the whole set, just subbing in occasionally, it’s hard to stack up digs, y’know? In any case, her 155 sets in two seasons is still more than Studer’s 120 in three seasons, so I guess that makes Eckel Marquette’s most experienced DS heading into the season.

Marquette also has two freshmen in the position group. Avery Helms (5’9”, #24, St. Charles, Missouri) and Annika Kowalski (5’9”, #14, Appleton, Wisconsin) are both “late” additions to the roster, in that they weren’t in the group of freshmen that enrolled back in January. Helms has the probable inside track to immediate playing time after being tabbed as an AVCA Third Team All-American last fall and setting her high school’s records for digs in a season, average digs per set for a season, aces in a season, and career aces. She’s also #2 all-time in Missouri state history in digs for a career, and Ryan Theis praised her defending and passing when she was signed as a recruit back in early January. A good passing libero was important in Theis’ system, but we’ll have to wait and see if that’s as big of a deal with the way Mendoza coaches his team. Kowalski was an all-state selection in 2022 and 2023 while her high school won a pair of Wisconsin Division 2 state titles, but the fact of the matter is that she was an attacker in high school and now she’s listed as a defensive specialist. That probably means she’s a heck of an athlete to be able to earn a Division 1 scholarship with the intent of doing something other than what she excelled at in high school, but it also probably means that she’s still learning and growing at her new position. If she picks it up quick, there’s no one in this position group that’s clearly shooting past her as the obvious starter, but for now, I’d rank her fourth out of four pure DS/L players on the roster.

Marquette has an interesting mix of newcomers at outside hitter where there’s a lot of playing time to be grabbed up with Natalie Ring as the only real proven option coming back from last year’s roster. Mari King (5’10”, #11, Jacksonville, Florida) joined the team as a freshman at the start of the spring semester, so she’s been working with Tom Mendoza and his staff ever since they got to campus. She set Florida’s all-time kills record during her prep career, and at the time she signed back in November, Ryan Theis expected her to “play in some big time matches for us in 2025.” She also seemed to be working through some injury related stuff in the spring semester, turning up with a taped up right thigh for a stretch. It never stopped her from playing, but it’s worth noting that she maybe hasn’t been 100% for the Golden Eagles quite yet.

Elena Radeff (6’0”, #21, Menlo Park, California) comes into Marquette as a transfer signed by Ryan Theis but she didn’t arrive on campus until during the summer to begin preparing for the fall season. 2025 will be Radeff’s only season in Milwaukee, as it is her COVID bonus season of eligibility after redshirting in 2022. She was Santa Clara’s #2 attacker last season, averaging 2.69 kills/set and hitting .266. With that said, she finished 2024 on a hot streak, averaging 4.90 kills and hitting .368 over the Broncos’ final six matches. That’s not just a blip of activity, that’s sustained success where Radeff also chipped in 1.15 digs and 0.85 blocks per set. Radeff also played beach volleyball for Santa Clara and was all-West Coast Conference in 2024 while appearing on SC’s top pairing that season. Even if she’s really somewhere in the middle of 2.69 and 4.90 kills per set, that would seem to indicate that she has a part to play for the Golden Eagles in 2025. Remember: She was signed by Ryan Theis to be at MU for one season, so I think we can draw the conclusion that there was a plan for her to have a quality role.

Emma Parks (6’2”, #10, Meadville, Pennsylvania) rounds out the group as a summer enrolling freshman. She earned all-state honors three times in her prep career, and on her way to 1,933 career kills, she set her high school’s single match record with 47. At the time she signed in January, Ryan Theis was leaning towards Parks redshirting in 2025, partly because she came to volleyball a little bit later than the traditional trajectory that he sees. The outside hitter group that’s on Tom Mendoza’s roster for this fall is the same group that was projected to be here right before Theis took the Florida job, so I’d imagine there’s a chance that Mendoza’s assessment of Parks is similar. With that said, different coaches have different asks for their players, and if Parks fits what Mendoza wants right now better than she was going to fit in for Theis, I say run with it and see what happens.

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AU Pro Volleyball Stars to Watch in the 2026 LOVB Season

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15 minutes ago

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December 29, 2025

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Atlanta (3)

Atlanta finished first in the regular season standings with a 13-3 record before falling in the semifinals. The squad returns three AU stars to the roster, led by libero Piyanut Pannoy, who finished 14th on the AU leaderboard this fall with 1,957 points and ranked third in the league with 139 digs. Also returning are middle blocker Onye Ofoegbu and opposite hitter Tessa Grubbs.

AU Players: Piyanut Pannoy, Onye Ofoegbu, Tessa Grubbs

Houston (4)

Houston finished second in the regular season standings with a 10-6 record before falling in the semifinals. The squad is loaded with AU talent, headlined by 2025 AU champion Jordan Thompson, who earned 2025 LOVB Icons Second Team honors and set league records during her dominant fall campaign. Also joining Houston are libero Justine Wong-Orantes, who moved from Omaha after playing every AU match this fall and tallying 106 digs, outside hitter Madi Kingdon Rishel, who finished fifth on the AU leaderboard, and setter Micha Hancock, who ranked third in the league with 9.80 assists per set during the AU season.

AU Players: Jordan Thompson, Justine Wong-Orantes, Madi Kingdon Rishel, Micha Hancock

 

Madison (3)

Madison finished third in the regular season standings with an 8-8 record before falling in the quarterfinals. The squad returns three AU stars, including outside hitter Temi Thomas-Ailara, who finished 20th on the AU leaderboard with 1,706 points, and outside hitter Claire Chaussee, who carved out a specialized defensive role and finished 28th overall. They’re joined by LOVB first-timer, middle blocker Annayka Legros, who brings nearly a decade of international experience and made her AU debut this fall.

AU Players: Claire Chaussee, Annayka Legros, Temi Thomas-Ailara

Salt Lake (11)

Salt Lake boasts the largest group of AU stars with 11 athletes on the roster. The squad features outside hitter Dani Drews, who earned her second career AU podium finish with a fourth-place showing and 2,493 points, and middle blocker Sophie Fischer, who took the league by storm in her first full pro season and recorded the highest block total of any AU rookie with 24. Also joining Salt Lake are setter Madi Bugg, who moved from Atlanta after ranking fifth in both assists and setting efficiency across LOVB last season; libero Manami Kojima, the 2025 LOVB Libero of the Year, who ranked second in the AU with 140 digs; outside hitter Claire Hoffman, who finished seventh on the AU leaderboard; and middle blocker Tori Dixon, who ranked third in AU this fall with a 0.70 blocks-per-set average. Rounding out the roster are outside hitter Alexa Gray, middle blocker Serena Gray, outside hitter Madi Haynes, opposite Heydi Casanova, and opposite Skylar Fields.

AU Players: Dani Drews, Madi Haynes, Skylar Fields, Sophie Fischer, Tori Dixon, Alexa Gray, Madi Bugg, Serena Gray, Manami Kojima, Claire Hoffman, Heydi Casanova

 

Nebraska (3)

Nebraska (formerly LOVB Omaha) finished last in the regular season standings with a 5-11 record but made an impressive run in the postseason by upsetting Madison and second-seeded Houston to reach the finals before settling for the runner-up title. The squad features three AU stars, including middle blocker Emily Thater, who broke into the top five blockers during the AU season and ranked fourth in the league with a 0.68 blocks-per-set average. Also joining the roster are outside hitter Jaali Winters and setter Gabby Blossom.

AU Players: Emily Thater, Jaali Winters, Gabby Blossom

Austin (3)

Austin finished fifth in the regular season standings with a 5-11 record but shocked the league by upsetting Salt Lake and top-seeded Atlanta to capture the LOVB Finals crown. The squad features three AU stars, including middle blocker Molly McCage, who claimed her third consecutive Blocker of the Year award after leading the 2025 Championship with a 0.94 blocks-per-set average. She’s joined by opposite Khat Bell and rookie middle blocker Bella Bergmark, who ranked fifth in the league in blocks per set during her AU debut.

AU Players: Khat Bell, Molly McCage, Bella Bergmark

 

Season 2 of League One Volleyball returns on January 7 with the first serve to take place between Nebraska and the hosting Austin team.

Siera Jones is the digital media reporter at Athletes Unlimited. You can follow her on Instagram and X @sieraajones.





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Michigan State Athletics Announces Kristen Kelsay Contract Extension

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December 29, 2025

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EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State athletics announced a one-year contract extension for head volleyball coach Kristen Kelsay Monday. With the extension, Kelsay’s contract now runs through 2031.

“In her first season guiding Michigan State volleyball, Kristen Kelsay quickly established a winning culture on and off the court,” said Michigan State Vice President and Director of Athletics J Batt. “We are excited to watch the program continue to grow and strive for new levels of success under her leadership.”

“I am incredibly grateful to President Kevin Guskiewicz and Director of Athletics J Batt for the opportunity to represent Michigan State University for years to come,” said Kelsay. “Being a Spartan is a privilege, and I am honored to lead the women of Michigan State volleyball. I am humbled by the support of our athletic department and the entire Spartan family. Year one laid the foundation for the success of this program for years to come. I am so grateful for our people – my staff, the student-athletes, and our community. I look forward to continuing to build this program every day with our values and a shared mission.” 

Kelsay, who completed her first season as head coach in 2025, led MSU to its most wins since 2017 with an 18-12 overall record. The Spartans opened the season with a 10-0 mark in non-conference play, the program’s first time going undefeated in non-conference action since 2012 and fourth time overall. MSU was one of eight Division I schools and one of two Big Ten programs to go unbeaten in non-conference play in 2025, while the 10-0 record marked the best start for a head coach in their first season at MSU.

MSU earned its first sweep against a ranked opponent since 2017 in 2025 with a 3-0 win against No. 20 Indiana and swept Michigan in East Lansing for the first time since 2015. The Spartans also posted their best team hitting efficiency (.222), kills per set (12.83), assists per set (11.99) and service aces per set (1.71) since 2017. Individually, junior Karolina Staniszewska was named Second Team All-Big Ten and was an American Volleyball Coaches Association Honorable Mention All-Region selection, while setter Malayah Long was twice named Big Ten Freshman of the Week.

Nine Spartans earned Academic All-Big Ten honors, and junior Zuzanna Kulig earned Academic All-District honors from the College Sports Communicators (CSC).



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Drake Relays and Iowa Sports Foundation Inspire Healthy Starts in 2026

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44 minutes ago

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December 29, 2025

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DES MOINES, Iowa – The Drake Relays has again partnered with the Iowa Sports Foundation to help support all Iowans in their commitment to their 2026 health and fitness goals. During the holiday season and into the first days of the New Year, the Drake Relays staff are encouraging everyone to make their New Year’s resolution a Relays Resolution.
 
“Each New Year provides a definitive opportunity to set goals, and we’re proud to once again partner with the Iowa Sports Foundation to help Iowans turn those goals into action,” said Franklin P. Johnson Director of the Drake Relays, Blake Boldon. “The Relays Resolution campaign and the Live Healthy Iowa 10 Week Wellness Challenge provide accessible, motivating ways for people of all fitness levels to stay active and train toward the Drake Road Races.”
 
The 58th installment of the Drake Road Races will take place on Saturday, April 18, 2026, marking the official beginning of Relays Week. With three distances available, 5k, 10k, and half marathon, there is a race available for all fitness levels and the first six 2026 Drake Relays Champions will be crowned. All finishers receive a commemorative Drake Road Races finishers medal, a premium apparel item, free admission to the Thursday night Distance Carnival at the Drake Relays plus other benefits. Become one of the first finishers of America’s Athletic Classic when you cross the finish line on the Blue Oval. Make your Relays Resolution and register on or before Monday, January 5 to take advantage of our special Relays Resolution pricing at drakeroadraces.org.
 
“The beginning of a new year is an ideal moment to get active and set personal goals,” Nicole Kennedy, Chief Operating Officer, shared, ‘The Iowa Sports Foundation is excited to partner with the Drake Relays to provide these fun and healthy opportunities for Iowans.'”
 
As a way to stay accountable in training for the Drake Road Races, the Drake Relays are encouraging registrants to participate in the Live Healthy Iowa 10 Week Wellness Challenge. For $25, participants can now register for the Challenge that will run from January 12-March 20, 2026. Over the course of 10 weeks, teams (2-10 people) track activity minutes and/or weight loss through the Live Healthy Iowa website. This simple and affordable challenge provides Iowans an opportunity to improve their health while engaging in fun, friendly competition. To register visit livehealthyiowa.org/10-challenge. 
 
About Drake Relays

The Drake Relays has served as “America’s Athletic Classic” since its first running in 1910. The annual competition, hosted by Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, is recognized internationally as a destination for the world’s premier track & field athletes across multiple professional and amateur divisions. In 2020, the Drake Relays was named a Silver Level event on the World Athletics Continental Tour, a designation that has been received annually since that time. In addition to its signature stadium competition, the Drake Relays includes two marquee road running events open to the general public — the Grand Blue Mile presented by Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield and the Drake Road Races. For more information, visit drakerelays.org.
 
About Live Healthy Iowa
Live Healthy Iowa is a program of the Iowa Sports Foundation, a non-profit organization located in Ames, Iowa. Live Healthy Iowa brings together friends, families, businesses, and communities in team-based wellness challenges and active events encouraging lifelong well-being.

 



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Transfer outside hitter commits to Wisconsin volleyball

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47 minutes ago

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December 29, 2025

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What are Wisconsin football's biggest needs in the transfer portal

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Wisconsin football commitment an opportunity Reedsburg senior standout 'couldn't pass up'

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3 things we learned from Wisconsin men's basketball's nonconference high-major gauntlet

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Meet the 2025 Press Herald All-Region volleyball team

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December 29, 2025

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Yarmouth’s Grace Keaney hits a shot during the Clippers’ game against York on on Sept. 9. (Brianna Soukup/Staff Photographer)

Caleb Atwood, Scarborough junior outside hitter

Maya Babcock, York senior libero

Liana Edwards, Gorham junior setter

Anna Grace Hebert, Cheverus sophomore libero

Grace Keaney, Yarmouth senior middle hitter/outside hitter

Charlotte MacDonald, Kennebunk senior setter

Bella Parrotta, York senior setter

Addie Petit, Thornton Academy junior setter

Anabelle Talley, Greely junior outside hitter

Quinn Wherley, Kennebunk senior libero



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Ripon’s Adriana Dorn is Modesto Bee Volleyball Player of Year

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December 29, 2025

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Ripon High School’s Adriana Dorn is The Modesto Bee Volleyball Player of Year.

Ripon High School’s Adriana Dorn is The Modesto Bee Volleyball Player of Year.


Andy Alfaro

aalfaro@modbee.com

The Ripon High volleyball team spent the majority of the 2025 season ranked in the top 10 of the MaxPreps Sac-Joaquin Section rankings. The team came back to reverse sweep Pitman High in a highly anticipated five-set, top-10 thriller and then, weeks later, secured a third consecutive undefeated Trans-Valley League season, three-peating as league champions.

But none of that was senior Adriana Dorn’s favorite part of the season.

Asked about her favorite memory from the season, the decorated leader thought back to a loss.

Dorn and the Indians were trailing two sets to zero in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division III championship match against Christian Brothers (Ripon was moved up after winning the 2024 title in D-IV).

Ripon’s Adriana Dorn floats a ball over the net during the Sac-Joaquin Section D3 volleyball championship match with Christian Brothers at Cosumnes River College in Sacramento on Nov. 8, 2025.
Ripon’s Adriana Dorn floats a ball over the net during the Sac-Joaquin Section D3 volleyball championship match with Christian Brothers at Cosumnes River College in Sacramento on Nov. 8, 2025. Andy Alfaro aalfaro@modbee.com

They rallied back to produce arguably the most exciting match of the championship day slate at Cosumnes River College, winning the next two sets and forcing a winner-take-all fifth set. Though they lost 15-8, the team showed the hundreds of attendees what Dorn knew about her team all along.

“Even though we didn’t win, we played with so much grit and so much fight,” she said. “Every single point, we gave it our all. Even if we didn’t come out on top, that was just a really important game and one of my last as a Ripon High volleyball player.”

Dorn grew into a leadership role for the Stanislaus District’s top-ranked team, according to MaxPreps. She guided the Indians to a fourth straight section championship appearance and a fourth straight CIF Northern California Regional playoff berth.

Dorn was one of the top hitters in California, finishing ninth in hitting percentage (.408), and eighth in kills (544). Those numbers rank second and fourth in the section, respectively.

In her final high school season, Dorn finished with career highs in not only kills and hit percentage but kills per set (5.3) and kill percentage (51.9%). Dorn this season also was named the TVL’s Most Valuable Player for the second straight year.

For her efforts, Dorn is The Bee’s Volleyball Player of the Year for a second straight season.

“I’m just honored,” she said of winning the award for a second straight season. “I’m blessed to play with such a really good group of girls two years in a row and they helped me achieve this. I couldn’t have done any of it without them.”

Ripon High School’s Adriana Dorn is The Modesto Bee Volleyball Player of Year
Ripon High School’s Adriana Dorn is The Modesto Bee Volleyball Player of Year Andy Alfaro aalfaro@modbee.com

A successful senior season

Dorn, a four-year varsity player, saw her skills improve and her role change every year she played. As a freshman, she tallied 254 assists and just 76 kills. As a senior, her 544 kills were a team high.

She also grew as a leader.

“This program has taught me so many lessons and given me so many memories that I’ll cherish forever.”

As a senior, she reached the milestone of 1,000 career kills, was one of the driving forces in Ripon’s third straight season with over 25 overall wins and led the team through one of toughest volleyball leagues in California, beating multiple state qualifiers and a state champion twice in a 12-0 TVL season.

“Our first goal was always to win league,” Dorn said. “I think (head coach) Greg (Soliz) did a good job preparing us for that. Those games are always really fun because you have rivalries like RC and Escalon. They’re super fun to compete in.”

While her ability to put the ball away as an outside hitter earned her back-to-back Bee Player of the Year honors, Dorn’s versatility has made her a coveted recruit across the West Coast.

According to recruiting website prepdig.com, she is the No. 13 overall player in California and the state’s No. 4 ranked setter/right side.

“I’m willing to do anything to help the team,” she said. “I love to set and I love to hit. I’m good with doing whatever one.”

Fourth title game caps decorated career

In addition to over 1,300 kills, Dorn’s career was defined by winning. The most she lost in a season was 11 games as a freshman. In her final three high school seasons, Ripon never lost more than seven games in a season.

Dorn has never missed a section title match. Each varsity season, her teams played for a blue banner. They won titles during her freshman and junior seasons, 2022 and 2024, and lost in her sophomore and senior seasons, 2023 and 2025. In her four-year varsity career, Dorn and the Indians went 110-27 overall and 44-2 in league matches.

She still remembers her first section title match as a wide-eyed 14-year-old under the brightest lights the SJS offers. She jokingly said she had “no idea what I was doing playing in front of a crowd that big.”

As a senior, she became one of the team’s steady voices, talking the players through tough stretches in a match and guiding them to a near comeback in front of a rowdy crowd in a college gym.

“This was my fourth section championship and I was just able to kind of drown out the noise and just focus on the team,” she said. “My time (at Ripon) has really taught me that.”

2025 Modesto Bee All District Teams

COACH OF THE YEAR

Coming into the season, Pitman head coach Ariah Amini knew his team would be young in key areas. The girls lost their starting middle and second-leading hitter, their leader in service aces, blocks and their starting setter.

He also knew they would be returning some talent, like kills leader and Portland State signee Maryn Hall and key players like Kayliyah Williams, Aila Reich and Alyssa Moreno.

It was just about how everyone would fit together.

Amini asked players to step into bigger roles than they had last season. He had some returners play out of position, coaching them through tough nonleague matchups as they prepared to defend their three-time undefeated run as Central California Athletic League champions.

Though the Pride fell in the Division I quarterfinals, it did not mark the end of their season.

As the season progressed, the Pride only got better. They ended the season with 27 wins and just 11 losses and finished as undefeated CCAL champions for the fourth straight season. The Pride have now won 40 straight league games.

For his efforts, Amini was named CCAL Coach of the Year for the second time and is The Bee’s 2025 Volleyball Coach of the Year.

Pitman, a top 15 team in the section all season, advanced to the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I playoffs, competing against the best schools the area offers. As the No. 5 seed, they beat Franklin of Elk Grove in a competitive five-set match.

Despite not advancing to the section semifinals and earning an automatic bid into the CIF Northern California Regional playoffs, they did receive an at-large bid granted by the seeding committee. The Pride hosted a first round match in the Division III NorCal tournament as the No. 3 seed, but fell in a competitive five-set thriller to Shasta.

Pitman secured its fourth straight season with at least 25 wins and the third straight under Amini. The league champions had the CCAL MVP, co-Defensive Player of the Year and Setter of the Year.

FIRST TEAM

OH: Zaniyah Corneille, Sophomore, Downey

OH: Faye Dobson, Sophomore, Big Valley Christian

OH: Maryn Hall, Senior, Pitman

OH: Amelia Spaulding, Junior, Turlock

OH/OPP: Olivia Piazza, Junior, Hughson

MB/MH: Brynn Bohn, Senior, Ripon Christian

MH/MB: Emma Gomes, Senior, Hilmar

L: Audrey Mensonides, Senior, Turlock

L: Aila Reich, Senior, Pitman

S: Stella Pires, Senior, Hilmar

S: Jaedyn Riley, Senior, Oakdale

S: Alayna Sprinkle, Junior, Ripon

S: Izabella Ziencina, Sophomore, Pitman

SECOND TEAM

OH: Alyssa Colston, Senior, Hilmar

OH: Jorie Eskes, Junior, Ripon

OH/OPP: Ashlyn Malone, Sophomore, Ripon

OH/OPP: Alyssa Thomas, Senior, Central Catholic

OH/OPP: Addison Yarbrough, Freshman, Hughson

MH/MB: Reese Ahlem, Junior, Hilmar

MB/MH: Haley Kootstra, Senior, Ripon Christian

DS/L: Caitlin Echegoyen, Freshman, Big Valley Christian

DS/L: Izzy Piazza, Sophomore, Hughson

S: Ella Alavezos, Senior, Big Valley Christian

S: Alanna Blanco, Senior, Ripon Christian

S: Aniston Hunt, Junior, Escalon

S: Alyssa Vasquez, Senior, Davis

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Quinton Hamilton

The Modesto Bee

Quinton Hamilton covers high school sports for The Modesto Bee. He is a Southern California native and received his bachelor’s degree from Pacific Union College and a master’s in journalism from Quinnipiac University in Connecticut. Quinton has worked at the Record-Journal in Meriden and helped on projects at Hearst Connecticut.



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