The Mid-American Conference (MAC) Volleyball has released its 2025 Preseason Coaches Poll, predicting BGSU volleyball to take both the regular season and tournament title. The preseason poll comes on the heels of Bowling Green’s regular-season championship and Western Michigan’s tournament championship in 2024.
The Falcons claimed the top spot in the Coaches Poll with 119 points and 10 first-place votes in the first season of new head coach Alex DelPiombo. Ball State and Central Michigan received second and third, respectively. CMU is also debuting a new head coach in 2025.
2025 MAC Volleyball Coaches Poll
(First place votes)
1. Bowling Green – 119 (10) pts.
2. Ball State – 102 (2) pts.
3. Central Michigan – 101 pts.
4. Western Michigan – 93 pts.
5. Buffalo – 77 pts.
6. Toledo – 73 pts.
7. Ohio – 66 pts.
8. Eastern Michigan – 48 pts.
9. Miami – 38 pts.
10. Akron – 35 pts.
11. Northern Illinois – 26 pts.
12. Kent State – 14 pts.
Tournament champion: Bowling Green (10), Buffalo (1), Central Michigan (1)
Western Michigan, which was predicted to win both the regular season and postseason in 2024, received 93 points and fourth place. All other MAC teams have below 77 points, Buffalo and Toledo rounding out the six that are predicted to represent themselves in the MAC Tournament.
In tournament championship voting, Bowling Green claimed 10 of 12 votes, the other two votes going to predicted third-place CMU and fifth-place Buffalo. Neither Ball State nor WMU, which matched up in the 2024 tournament championship, received a vote to win the 2025 championship.
The poll included the Preseason All-MAC Team, which nabbed four Falcons, Lauryn Hovey, Jessica Andrews and Amanda Otten. In 2024, Hovey and Otten received All-MAC First team honors, and Andrews received All-MAC Second Team honors.
2025 Preseason All-MAC Team
Lauryn Hovey, Opposite, Bowling Green
Carson Tyler, Outside Hitter, Ball State
Amanda Otten, Setter, Bowling Green
Abby Olin, Middle Blocker, Central Michigan
Jessica Andrews, Middle Blocker, Bowling Green
Mary Clare Brusek, Middle Blocker, Western Michigan
Natalia Rejment, Outside Hitter, Central Michigan
Grace Thomas, Middle Blocker, Central Michigan
Grace Freiberger, Libero, Toledo
Sophie Ledbetter, Libero, Ball State
Manoela Forlin, RS/OH, Buffalo
Sierra Pertzborn, Middle Blocker, Toledo
Hatteras Welker, Middle Blocker, Eastern Michigan
Mackenzie McGuire, Outside Hitter, Kent State
Bowling Green’s three All-MAC predictions are tied for the most in the MAC poll with Central Michigan, both teams with first-year head coaches. The Falcons received seven individual All-MAC honors last season, including five team-related awards, Coach of the Year and Player of the Year.
The 2025 MAC Tournament will take place in Bowling Green’s Stroh Center, with every tournament from this season on being hosted by the previous year’s regular-season champion. The regular season will wrap on Saturday, Nov. 15, and the postseason will take place Nov. 21 through 23.
