ST. LOUIS – The University of Missouri-St. Louis volleyball team has been picked to finish fourth in the Great Lakes Valley Conference for the upcoming season. The annual GLVC Volleyball Preseason Poll was voted on by the league's 14 head coaches. Coaches were not eligible to vote for their own teams per league policy.
Lewis was picked to win the league receiving 152 total points and five first place votes. Quincy, picked second, garnered 150 points and four first place votes while Rockhurst was slated to finish third with 147 points and two first place votes.
The Tritons finished the 2024 campaign with a 19-9 record including 8-5 in the GLVC and advanced to the GLVC and NCAA Tournament. UMSL received 139 points and two first place votes edging out Maryville for fourth. The Saints picked up the final first place vote and 136 total points.
15th year head coach
Ryan Young returns five All-GLVC performers from that team, including
Alayna Santel who was the AVCA Midwest Region and GLVC Freshman of the Year and
Caitlin Bishop who was an honorable mention selection. Also back are second team All-GLVC honorees
Hannah Copeland,
Iyannah Jackson and
Skylar Weaver.
Bishop, the 2023 GLVC Player of the Year, led the conference and finished third in Division II in assists per set (12.12). Santel was ranked eighth in the GLVC with 377 kills and 10th in kills per set (3.56). Weaver was fourth in the league for digs (545) and digs per set (5.14). Copeland (.339) and Jackson (.305) landed second and fourth in the league for hitting percentage.
The Tritons open their 2025 schedule Sept. 5-6 with four matches in Lebanon, Ill, at the McKendree Invitational. UMSL takes on Michigan Tech in its season opener at 9 a.m. that Friday and then will take on Purdue Northwest at 2 p.m. On Saturday, the Tritons will meet up with Southwestern Oklahoma State at 9 a.m. and conclude play against Minnesota-Duluth at 4:30 p.m.
The following weekend, UMSL will travel to Kearney, Neb., for Nebraska-Kearney's Rosella Meier Fall Classic. The Tritons will play four matches against South Dakota School of Mines, Nebraska-Kearney, Sioux Falls (S.D.) and Adams State (Colo.).
UMSL begins GLVC play on Friday (Sept. 26) traveling to Springfield, Mo., to take on Drury at 6 p.m. The home opener for the Tritons takes place on Friday (Oct. 3) against Illinois Springfield at 6 p.m. The annual GLVC Tournament will be played Nov. 21-23 at Williamsville High School Fieldhouse in Williamsville, Ill.
2025 GLVC VOLLEYBALL PRESEASON POLL
| Place |
School |
Points (1st-Place Votes) |
| 1 |
Lewis |
152 (5) |
| 2 |
Quincy |
150 (4) |
| 3 |
Rockhurst |
147 (2) |
| 4 |
Missouri-St. Louis |
139 (2) |
| 5 |
Maryville |
136 (1) |
| 6 |
Indianapolis |
104 |
| 7 |
Illinois Springfield |
84 |
| 8 |
McKendree |
82 |
| 9 |
Drury |
73 |
| 10 |
Missouri S&T |
71 |
| 11 |
Truman State |
47 |
| 12 |
Upper Iowa |
37 |
| 13 |
Southwest Baptist |
34 |
| 14 |
William Jewell |
18 |
