Ladies Picked 12th In Preseason SCAC Poll
In exclusive balloting by the league’s head coaches, Colorado College is the preseason favorite to claim the 2025 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference women’s volleyball title.
SUWANEE, Ga. -- In exclusive balloting by the league's head coaches, Colorado College is the preseason favorite to claim the 2025 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference women's volleyball title.
Colorado College received 11 of a possible 12 first-place votes to total 142 points in the preseason poll.
The Tigers are coming off a 17-10 season in 2024 with a 12-3 mark in league play but saw an early departure in the conference tournament quarterfinals to conclude the season. Colorado College's last championship in the league came in the 2020-21 season with an undefeated 17-0 record including 14-0 in the SCAC.
Entering 2025, Colorado College returns senior Carolyn Dormady from the First Team All-SCAC group a year ago as well as Camille Sherrill and Brooke Brilliant who earned Second Team All-SCAC honors. Dormady, a senior outside hitter, led the team a year ago with 340 kills as all three listed above finished as the top three in kills for the Tigers last season. Sherrill totaled 323 kills while Brilliant added 235. Dormady and Sherrill finished with the two highest kills per set totals in the league, respectively.
Head Coach Sharon Dingman enters her fifth season at the helm of the Colorado College program in 2025 after guiding her team to the SCAC Championship match in two of her four seasons. She guided Annie Steger in 2024 to be named SCAC Setter of the Year, Dingman's second SCAC Setter of the Year she has coached.
Coming in behind the Tigers in the preseason coaches' poll was Austin College with 124 points after making a run to the SCAC semifinals before losing to eventual champs Trinity (Texas). Junior libero Laynie Kovacs returns for the Roos after leading the league in total digs with 725 in 2024, earning a spot on the First Team All-SCAC listing. Following in third in the preseason balloting was Texas Lutheran University who gathered 122 points and the remaining first-place nod. The Bulldogs return Ryann Ely who was an All-SCAC Honorable Mention honoree a year ago and enters the season as the team's returning leader in kills.
In fourth in the preseason poll was University of St. Thomas with 111 total points, followed by newcomer to the league Hendrix with 82 points. McMurry edged out Schreiner for sixth place as the War Hawks totaled 74 points while the Mountaineers posted 73.
Also in its first year in the league, LeTourneau was slated eighth in the poll with 67 points coming in just ahead of Concordia University (Texas) who totaled 61 points. Rounding out the poll was University of Dallas in 10th with 37 points while University of the Ozarks prepares for its first season of competition coming in 11th. The Eagles secured 25 points while Centenary received 18 to finish 12th.
The 2025 SCAC volleyball season is set to begin with non-conference action on the slate for Friday, August 29, while the first SCAC conference weekend is scheduled for Friday, September 19.
The league continues to utilize the divisional alignment it put into place prior to the 2024 season with modifications made to adapt to changing membership. Austin College, Centenary, and Dallas remain in the Blue Division while University of Ozarks, in its first year of varsity competition, and the league's two newest members - Hendrix and LeTourneau - will also compete in the Blue Division. Three former Blue Division schools - Colorado College, McMurry, and St. Thomas - make the move to the Gold Division where Concordia (Texas), Schreiner, and Texas Lutheran continue to reside.
Just as last season, teams within their division will play a double round robin, teams outside of their division will play a single round robin, giving all teams a 16-game conference schedule in 2025.
Following the completion of the regular season, the top team from each division will qualify and earn a first-round bye into the single-elimination conference tournament. The next four best conference records (regardless of division) will also qualify and will play in the quarterfinal round. Hosted by Schreiner University and slated for Friday and Saturday, November 14 and 15, this year's postseason tournament winner will earn the conference's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.
2025 SCAC Volleyball Preseason Coaches' Poll
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| 1. | Colorado College (11) | 142 |
| 2. | Austin College | 124 |
| 3. | Texas Lutheran University (1) | 122 |
| 4. | University of St. Thomas | 111 |
| 5. | Hendrix College | 82 |
| 6. | McMurry University | 74 |
| 7. | Schreiner University | 73 |
| 8. | LeTourneau University | 67 |
| 9. | Concordia University (Texas) | 61 |
| 10. | University of Dallas | 37 |
| 11. | University of the Ozarks | 25 |
| 12. | Centenary College | 18 |
