For the first time since 2017, the Hillsdale College women's volleyball team won't start the season as the favorite to bring home a G-MAC title.

Coaches from around the G-MAC, however, made it clear they expect the Chargers will still be a factor in the title race in the annual Preseason Coaches Poll, announced on Thursday afternoon. Hillsdale, the defending G-MAC regular season champion, was tabbed to finish second in the North Division behind defending G-MAC Tournament champion Findlay. Cedarville was predicted to claim the crown in the G-MAC South Division, while Ashland edged out Walsh by a single point to enter the season as the favorite to win the East Division. You can find the full poll below.

The 2025 season is a year of transition for Hillsdale, which suffered heavy graduation losses from last year's squad that went 22-5 overall and 14-1 in G-MAC play. Four of Hillsdale's top five point scorers are gone, as are the team's individual leaders kills, aces, blocks, assists and digs from 2024.

That creates uncertainty that explains why the coaches around the league favor the Oilers, who upset the Chargers in the G-MAC Tournament and return their lineup nearly intact, to claim the top spot in 2025.

However, the rest of the league knows to underestimate Hillsdale at their own peril. The Chargers have won either the G-MAC regular season title, G-MAC Tournament title, or both for eight straight seasons, and across multiple similar lineup transitions. Although the Chargers may be short on experience, Hillsdale still has plenty of talent to make a run at the title. Three significant rotation players return from 2024 in middle hitter Adi Sysum, setter Josie TeSlaa, and defensive specialist Chloe Pierce, and the Chargers also return outside hitter Emory Braswell, who missed all of 2024 with an injury but was second on the team in kills in 2023 and should be healthy for the start of the 2025 season.

The graduation losses mean several roles are up from grabs. Redshirt freshman Ella Byrum and freshman Madison Peal will compete with Pierce for the open libero spot, while freshman Grace Drake will get the chance to team with TeSlaa in Hillsdale's 6-2 setting system. Multiple players will have a shot at grabbing expanded roles in the front row, including a promising sophomore class of Ellie Fles, Caroline Lanicek, Jenna Southland and Hannah Baker, as well as juniors Marcelina Gorny and Molly Kennedy and incoming freshmen Taylor Cook and Maddie Krappmann.

The Chargers will get a great sense of where they stand entering conference play with two tough invitationals in the first two weeks of the season. Hillsdale travels to Florida on September 5 and 6 to kick off the season in a invitational hosted by Florida Southern and former Hillsdale College great Ashlee Crowder, who coaches the Mocs. The Chargers then return to the state of Michigan on September 12 and 13 for another invitational hosted by one of the top teams in the Midwest Region, Grand Valley State.

Hillsdale opens G-MAC play and play their first matches at home on Sept. 19 and 20. Hillsdale hosts Ohio Dominican at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 19 and plays Cedarville the following day at 1 p.m. You can find the full schedule here.

2025 Volleyball Coaches Preseason Poll 

North Division 
1. Findlay (10)- 46 points
2. Hillsdale (3)- 39 points
3. Northwood- 29 points
4. Tiffin- 16 points

South Division
1. Cedarville (10)- 47 points
2. Ohio Dominican (3)- 39 points
3. Thomas More- 27 points
4. Kentucky Wesleyan- 17 points

East Division
1. Ashland (7)- 55 points
2. Walsh (5)- 54 points
3. Lake Erie (1)- 36 points
4. Malone- 32 points
5. Ursuline- 18 points