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Women's Volleyball

2025 ACC Volleyball Season Begins Friday

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) - The Atlantic Coast Conference Volleyball begins its 45th season on Friday, August 22, with the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) First Serve Showcase featuring Pitt and Stanford.

The Panthers and Cardinal will travel to Lincoln, Nebraska, to help kick off the first eight matches of the 2025 NCAA Division I Volleyball season. Nine of the 10 teams featured in this year's event earned a spot in the Preseason AVCA Poll (No. 1 Nebraska, No. 2 Penn State, No. 3 Pitt, No. 6 Stanford, No. 9 Texas A&M, No. 11 Minnesota, No. 12 Creighton, No. 14 Kansas, No. 16 Florida and Vanderbilt).

Pitt will hit the court against host and No. 1 team in the nation Nebraska at 7 p.m. ET on FOX on Friday. Stanford will then take on No. 16 Florida at 9 p.m. ET on FOX. On Sunday, August 24, Pitt will take on the Gators at 1 p.m. ET, and Stanford will take on the Huskers at 3:30 p.m. ET. Both matches will be on ESPN.

Pitt led the league with four student-athletes on the Preseason All-ACC Team in Olivia Babcock (RS), Blaire Bayless (OH), Ryla Jones (MB) and Bre Kelley (MB). Babcock, who was named to the 2025 AVCA Division I Player of the Year Watchlist, is back for her junior season and looking to defend her 2024 ACC Player of the Year and 2024 AVCA Player of the Year honors. The Panthers were voted the preseason favorite to win the ACC Volleyball Championship title by the head coaches for the second straight season.

Stanford had three student-athletes named to the Preseason All-ACC Team in Elia Rubin (OH), Ipar Kurt (OH) and Jordyn Harvey (OPP). Rubin, who led the team last season in points (509), points per set (4.54), kills (440) and kills per set (3.93), was also named to the 2025 AVCA Division I Player of the Year Watchlist. The Cardinal was picked by the head coaches to finish third in the ACC this season.

In the AVCA/Taraflex Preseason Poll, Pitt led the ACC in the No. 3 spot with Louisville (No. 4), Stanford (No. 6), SMU (No. 10) and Georgia Tech (No. 22) filling out the rest of the top 25. The ACC had the most teams in the top 10 of any conference.

Weekly Schedule (All Times Eastern)
2025 AVCA First Serve – Lincoln, NE
Friday, August 22
#3 Pitt vs. #1 Nebraska | 7 p.m. | FOX
#6 Stanford vs. #16 Florida | 9 p.m. | FOX

Sunday, August 24
#3 Pitt vs. #16 Florida | 1 p.m. | ESPN
#6 Stanford vs. #1 Nebraska | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN

Noting ACC Volleyball

  • ACC Volleyball begins its 45th season on Friday, August 22, with the AVCA First Serve Showcase featuring Pitt and Stanford. No. 1 Nebraska will take on No. 3 Pitt at 7 p.m. ET and No. 6 Stanford will face off with No. 16 Florida at 9 p.m. ET on Friday, August 22, on FOX. Florida will then take on Pitt at 1 p.m. ET and Stanford will take on Nebraska at 3:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, August 24, on ESPN.
  • In the AVCA/Taraflex Preseason Poll, Pitt led the ACC in the No. 3 spot with Louisville (No. 4), Stanford (No. 6), SMU (No. 10) and Georgia Tech (No. 22) filling out the rest of the top 25. The ACC had the most teams in the top 10 of any conference.
  • Pitt was voted the preseason favorite to win the 2025 Atlantic Coast Conference Volleyball Championship for the second straight year by the league’s volleyball head coaches.
  • Seven ACC standouts were named to the AVCA Division I Player of the Year Watch List. The list included Chloe Chicoine (Louisville), Cara Cresse (Louisville), Flormarie Heredia Colon (Miami), Olivia Babcock (Pitt), Bre Kelley (Pitt), Malaya Jones (SMU) and Elia Rubin (Stanford).
  • Florida State’s Chris Poole ranks first among active coaches with 939 victories in 39 seasons. Duke’s Jolene Nagel ranks fifth on that list with 712 career wins.
  • Louisville’s Dan Meske, NC State’s Megan Wargo-Kearney and Wake Forest’s Jeff Hulsmeyer are all in their first year as head coach of their programs.
  • The ACC had 11 players drafted in the 2024 Pro Volleyball Federation Draft, headlined by Louisville’s Anna DeBeer, who was drafted second overall to Indy Ignite, and Florida State’s Khouri Louis, who was drafted sixth overall to the Atlanta Vibe. Louisville’s Elena Scott, and SMU’s Naya Shime and Natalie Foster were drafted in the second round. Florida State’s Taylor Head, SMU’s Maya Tabron and Louisville’s Charitie Luper were selected in the third round. Stanford’s Elena Oglivie and Pitt’s Valerie Vazquez-Gomez were drafted in the fourth round, while Georgia Tech’s Bianca Bertolino was taken in the fifth and final round.