Marlborough, MASS.- MIT lands at the top of the 2025 NEWMAC Women’s Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll, collecting eight first-place votes. Under the direction of head coach Paul Dill, the Engineers will return 15 players, highlighted by All-American performers Kayleigh May and Julia Tolstova. May, the American Volleyball Coaches Region II Player of the Year, ranked 12^th in the nation in assists (1,147) and 18^th in assists per set (10.15). Tolstova was named the AVCA Division III Freshman of the Year, leading MIT in kills (293) and kills per set (2.74).
 
The second spot goes to defending NEWMAC Champions, Smith College, who collected the remaining four first-place votes. Head coach Greg Walker leads a veteran squad, which will also add six first years and a transfer to the mix. Headlining the returners is first team All-Conference honoree Abby Hunt, who averaged 3.56 kills per set on .284 hitting, both good for top-ten in the NEWMAC.
 
Landing in the third slot is Babson College, coached by Eric Neely, Babson returns 13 players after going 23-7 and reaching the NEWMAC Tournament semifinals for the 10^th consecutive season in 2024. They will return four starters, highlighted by junior setter Zoe Ackerman, who earned All-America honorable mention and All-NEWMAC second team honors last fall, averaging 9.90 assists per set.
 
Coming in at the four-spot is Springfield College, led by head coach Moira Long, who returns for her 15^th season with the Pride. Springfield will return several key contributors from a season ago, including Tori Colosimo and Jodi Saelua. Colosimo averaged 8.00 assists per set, good for sixth in the league, while Saelua’s .282 hitting percentage was good for eighth in the NEWMAC.  
 
Coast Guard has nabbed the fifth spot. The Bears, led by head coach Mark Thomas, will see several starters return, including sophomore Amelia Matson, who led the Bears in kills per set (3.14) last season, which was top ten in the conference. Eloise Shirley will also return to the court after leading the team in blocks with 85, good for sixth in the NEWMAC.
 
Wellesley College secures the sixth spot as Head Coach Dorothy Webb returns for the 32nd season. Webb is currently in the top 10 in active DIII coaches in wins with 676. The Blue return all but one starter, including Kaija Kunze-Hoeg, who was a NEWMAC All-Conference Second Team selection last season. Kunze-Hoeg has compiled 1323 career digs.

Emerson College claimed the seventh spot. Head coach Ben Read returns for the Lions and will look to returner Chloe Hokenson to make an impact after leading the Lions with 6.52 assists per set and adding 2.46 digs per set.  
 
Wheaton enters the poll ranked eighth. The Lyons will be led by head coach Craig Letourneau and return senior Sydney Lyon. The outside hitter put down 3.68 kills per set a season ago.
 
 Clark fills in the nine-spot. The Cougars enter the second year of the Matthew Heckler era after reaching the NEWMAC Quarterfinals a season ago. Clark brings back 10 players from last year and welcomes four to the team this season. Among the returners is senior libero Yumeng Liu, who led the squad with 391 digs and 4.07 digs per set. Sophomore Isabella Alcott is back for the Cougars' offense after tallying 104 kills and 21 blocks a season ago.
 
Salve Regina University rounds out the top ten. The Seahawks, coached by Sebastian Noordzy, return their top hitter from a season ago in Lucy Swanson, who averaged 2.89 kills per set along with 3.19 digs per set.
 
Mount Holyoke College, coached by Iris Carpio, and WPI, coached by Mickey Cahoon, fill out the eleventh and twelfth spots, respectively. Each will see several starters return to help them vie for a title in 2025. 
 
NEWMAC volleyball conference play will start on Tuesday, September 23.
 
The NEWMAC Volleyball Championship will begin with quarterfinal games on November 11, followed by semifinal match-ups on November 15. The NEWMAC Volleyball  champion will be crowned on November 16.

2025 NEWMAC Women's Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll 

1. MIT (8)  
2. Smith (4)
3. Babson
4. Springfield
5. Coast Guard
6. Wellesley
7. Emerson
8. Wheaton
9. Clark
10. Salve Regina
11. Mount Holyoke
12. WPI 

About the NEWMAC

The NEWMAC is an association of 12 selective academic institutions: Babson College, Clark University, U.S Coast Guard Academy, Emerson College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Mount Holyoke College, Salve Regina University, Smith College, Springfield College, Wellesley College, Wheaton College, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute, that are committed to providing high quality competitive athletic opportunities for student-athletes within an educational and respectful environment that embodies the NCAA Division III Philosophy. The conference also partners with four Associate Members: Norwich University (Football), Simmons College (Rowing), SUNY Maritime College (Football), and U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (Football), while sponsoring 20 sports.