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volleyball-2025-preseasonpoll

Volleyball Paxton Ritchey

Volleyball Picked 13th in RMAC Coaches Poll

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Chadron State volleyball is projected for a 13th-place finish in the RMAC, matching its finish in last season's standings, according to the RMAC Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll released Tuesday by the league office alongside the Preseason All-RMAC team. 

The preseason order is voted on by the league's 15 head coaches, who rank the other 14 programs without voting for their own team. The Preseason All-RMAC team is comprised of the top 14 returning players based on voting totals from last season's all-conference awards. 

MSU Denver are the runaway favorites to win the league this season, receiving 13 of a possible 14 first-place votes and finishing with 194 points. The Roadrunners have won the past four regular-season RMAC championships and are currently on a streak of 24 consecutive seasons making the NCAA Tournament. Chadron State was one of only four RMAC teams to take a set off MSU Denver during conference play last season, when the Roadrunners won in four sets in the Chicoine Center last September 21. 

Colorado Mesa is second in the poll, earning the final two first-place votes, 11 second-place votes and one third-place vote to finish with 183 points. Colorado Christian, who advanced to the finals of the RMAC Tournament last season, comes in third in the preseason poll with 162 points. 

South Dakota Mines, last season's surprise with a third-place regular-season finish, are picked fourth in 2025 with 154 points. The rest of the top 10 features CSU Pueblo, Regis, Westminster, UCCS and Adams State and Colorado School of Mines in a tie for ninth. 

Spots 11-13 are incredibly close, with 11th-place Fort Lewis receiving 59 points in the poll, 12th-place Western Colorado receiving 57 and the 13th-place Eagles receiving 55. The poll is rounded out by New Mexico Highlands and Black Hills State. 

Led by seventh-year head coach Jennifer Stadler, Chadron State will need to replace both student-athletes that earned All-RMAC recognition last season (libero Alondra Hernandez and middle Aiyana Fujiyama) but still return a solid core of contributors. 

The Eagles return each of their top three kill leaders from a season ago in junior Kally Kirkwood (191 kills), senior Alejandra Briseno (181) and sophomore Mataya Ward (156). Former All-RMAC selection and senior Bella Adams will provide leadership and returns after posting 135 kills and 61 blocks in 2024. Junior Avery Lacy, who ranked second on the team behind league leader Hernandez in digs last season with 221, is poised to take over the libero role.

The Eagles will also feature talented newcomers including Shelbi Hazlitt, a transfer from Nebraska-Kearney and Coe College whose father, mother and aunt are all former CSC athletes. Chadron State will also welcome two juco transfers in outside hitter Gibson Beckler (Missouri State-West Plains) and middle hitter Chloe Grady (Western Nebraska CC), plus a freshman class of four that includes Lincoln, Nebraska athletes Jillian Donovan and Shelby Harding

Chadron State volleyball's 2025 season opens within the friendly confines of the Chicoine Center when CSC hosts the six-team Eagle Classic from September 4-6. RMAC play begins September 19-20, with the Eagles on the road at Colorado Christian and CSU Pueblo, before CSC's RMAC home opener on Friday, September 26 against Fort Lewis. The Eagles will face Western Colorado the following evening, Saturday, September 27, as part of a homecoming doubleheader with CSC football.
 
Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference
2025 Preseason Volleyball Coaches' Poll
Place Team 1sts 2nds 3rds Points
1. MSU Denver 13 - 1 194
2. Colorado Mesa 2 11 1 183
3. Colorado Christian - 3 5 162
4. South Dakota Mines - - 7 154
5. CSU Pueblo 133
6. Regis 117
7. Westminster 105
8. UCCS 104
9. Adams State 95
Colorado School of Mines - 1 1 95
11. Fort Lewis 59
12. Western Colorado 57
13. Chadron State 55
14. New Mexico Highlands 37
15. Black Hills State 25
Notes:
Coaches were not permitted to vote for their team. 
14 points for a 1st place vote, 13 for a 2nd, etc. 
196 points maximum in volleyball


 

2025 Preseason All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference: Volleyball

Pos. Player School Yr. Hometown
OH Annika Helf (1) MSU Denver Sr. Emmendingen, Germany
DS/L Hannah Benes (DPOY, 1) South Dakota Mines Sr. Antioch, Ill.
MB Braiziah Dixon (1) Regis Sr. St. Paul, Minn.
MB Nicole Martin (1) UCCS Jr. Colorado Springs, Colo.
OH Sadie Scoville (1) Colorado Mesa Sr. Pleasant Grove, Utah
MB Renee Phillips (2) Colorado Christian Sr. Fresno, Calif.
MB Kryssa Moerman (2) MSU Denver Jr. Colorado Springs, Colo.
OPP Kaitlyn Hall (FoTY, 2) Colorado Mesa R-So. Colorado Springs, Colo.
MB Alyssa Boyte (2) MSU Denver So. Allen, Texas
MH Mailei Myers (2) Westminster Sr. West Jordan, Utah
OH Payton Tompkins (2) UCCS So. Dallas, Texas
LB Allison Waller (H) Colorado Mesa Sr. Loveland, Colo.
OH Ivy Vindivich (H) South Dakota Mines Jr. Puyallup, Wash.
LB Chinaru Inoue (H) CSU Pueblo Jr. Tenri, Japan
Symbols in parentheses are 2024 All-RMAC Recognitions: DPOY was the Defensive Player of the Year; FoTY was the Freshman of the Year; 1 -was a First Team All-RMAC selection; 2 - was a Second Team All-RMAC selection; H - was an Honorable Mention All-RMAC selection.


 
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Players Mentioned

Aiyana Fujiyama

#14 Aiyana Fujiyama

Middle Hitter
5' 11"
Senior
Alondra Hernandez

#16 Alondra Hernandez

Libero
5' 8"
Senior
Bella Adams

#22 Bella Adams

MH
6' 0"
Senior
Alejandra Briseno

#6 Alejandra Briseno

OH
5' 9"
Senior
Kally  Kirkwood

#7 Kally Kirkwood

MH
5' 11"
Junior
Avery Lacy

#5 Avery Lacy

L
5' 9"
Junior
Mataya Ward

#19 Mataya Ward

OH
5' 10"
Sophomore
Shelbi Hazlitt

#13 Shelbi Hazlitt

MH
5' 11"
Senior
Gibson Beckler

#10 Gibson Beckler

OH
5' 11"
Junior
Chloe Grady

#1 Chloe Grady

MH
5' 10"
Junior
Jillian Donovan

#4 Jillian Donovan

S
5' 11"
Freshman
Shelby Harding

#9 Shelby Harding

OH
5' 8"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Aiyana Fujiyama

#14 Aiyana Fujiyama

5' 11"
Senior
Middle Hitter
Alondra Hernandez

#16 Alondra Hernandez

5' 8"
Senior
Libero
Bella Adams

#22 Bella Adams

6' 0"
Senior
MH
Alejandra Briseno

#6 Alejandra Briseno

5' 9"
Senior
OH
Kally  Kirkwood

#7 Kally Kirkwood

5' 11"
Junior
MH
Avery Lacy

#5 Avery Lacy

5' 9"
Junior
L
Mataya Ward

#19 Mataya Ward

5' 10"
Sophomore
OH
Shelbi Hazlitt

#13 Shelbi Hazlitt

5' 11"
Senior
MH
Gibson Beckler

#10 Gibson Beckler

5' 11"
Junior
OH
Chloe Grady

#1 Chloe Grady

5' 10"
Junior
MH
Jillian Donovan

#4 Jillian Donovan

5' 11"
Freshman
S
Shelby Harding

#9 Shelby Harding

5' 8"
Freshman
OH