DALLAS - Conference USA announced its Volleyball All-Conference and Superlative Awards Wednesday ahead of the 2025 CUSA Volleyball Championship. (RV) WKU earned four superlatives, FIU earned two, while (RV) UTEP had one individual award in a vote of the league’s 12 head coaches. WKU’s Callie Bauer was crowned both the CUSA Alyssa Cavanaugh Player of the Year for the first time in her career and the league’s Setter of the Year for the second consecutive year.

A total of 10 Conference USA programs collected at least one all-conference selection, with six earning at least two or more. WKU led all CUSA programs with six selections, while UTEP was second with five honors.
CUSA renamed its’ Player of the Year Award in 2022 in honor of late WKU star Alyssa Cavanaugh, a four-time All-American outside hitter for the Hilltoppers, who passed away in December 2020 after a battle with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Cavanaugh was a two-time CUSA Player of the Year, a four-time AVCA All-American and the conference’s 2017-18 Michael L. Slive Female Athlete of the Year during her career at WKU (2014-17).
Bauer, a redshirt senior, becomes the first player in CUSA history to win both Player of the Year and Setter of the Year in the same season. She's won Conference USA Setter of the Week seven times that featured a stretch of three-straight awards for the Hudson, Michigan, native. She's the first setter since Jessica Lucas of WKU in 2016 to earn seven total CUSA Setter of the Week honors. For the second-straight season, Bauer has led WKU to a top-five hitting percentage in the country, the Hilltoppers currently sit at third with .307. She’s ranked first in CUSA in assists per set (10.23) and third in total assists (931). In addition, her abilities as a setter have guided WKU to a fifth-best kills per set percentage nationally at 14.59. One of two six rotation players for the Tops, she's also racked up 80 kills, 22 service aces, 196 digs and 27 blocks. Her performance on all fronts has earned her four double-doubles this season and 16 total during her career. Her 4,800 assists are ranked fourth all-time in career assists at WKU and she’s the active career leader in total assists in NCAA DI Volleyball. Bauer also helped lead the Hilltoppers’ to 100 consecutive conference match wins, which is the most in CUSA history.

WKU’s junior middle blocker Izzy Van De Wiele was tabbed as the CUSA Defensive Player of the Year. Van De Wiele has helped WKU rank third in overall blocks per set (2.47) and first in solo blocks (71) in CUSA. Individually, she's currently second in the league in blocks per set (1.29) and ninth in hitting percentage (.338). Van De Wiele leads the Hilltoppers in both total blocks (94) and blocks per set at 1.29. She also has the most solo blocks on the team with 16. On offense, she's posted 183 total kills and averaged 2.51 kills per set.

FIU senior Mandi Morioka captured the CUSA Libero of the Year honors. Morioka led CUSA in digs per set with 4.39. During the 2025 season, she had six matches with 20 or more digs, recording a career-high 29 vs. Drake on Sept. 6. On Sept. 14, the Torrance, Calif., native became the eighth Panther to eclipse 1,000 digs in her career.

WKU’s right side hitter Kaira Knox was voted as the league’s Freshman of the Year. She’s ranked third amongst the Hilltoppers in total kills (238), fifth in Conference USA in kills per set with 3.31 and sixth in points per set at 3.89. Knox’s 22 kills against Indiana on Sept. 19 were crucial in WKU's 3-0 sweep of then-RV Indiana and are the most by a Hilltopper freshman in over 22 years.

FIU’s senior middle blocker Magda Stambrowska earned the CUSA Newcomer of the Year award. She's ranked fourth in hitting percentage during CUSA play at a .368 clip. She leads the Panthers in blocks with 64 and ranks third amongst the team in blocks per set (0.80). Stambrowska had seven games with ten or more kills and added a season-high eight blocks on Oct. 24 at Liberty. 

UTEP’s Ben Wallis was selected as the Conference USA Coach of the Year for the first time in his career. UTEP has a 25-3 overall record and posted a 15-1 conference record as the Miners captured a share of the CUSA Regular Season Title and the No. 1 seed at the CUSA Tournament. The Miners continue to gain national attention under Wallis’ leadership, earning 49 votes in the latest AVCA/Taraflex Coaches Poll this week (Nov. 17). UTEP also achieved an RPI of 15, the lowest ranking in program history.

Bauer, Van De Wiele and Knox were a part of the First Team All-Conference USA team. Joining them was Kira Givans (FIU), Kayla Williams (Jax State), Manu Johnsen (Kennesaw State), Torrance Lovesee (UTEP), Sara Pustahija (UTEP), Danika Washington (UTEP), Alivia Skidmore (WKU) and Faith Young (WKU).

2025 CUSA VB Postseason Awards
 
Alyssa Cavanaugh Player of the Year
Callie Bauer, WKU 
 
Defensive Player of the Year
Izzy Van De Wiele, WKU 
 
Setter of the Year
Callie Bauer, WKU 
 
Libero of the Year
Mandi Morioka, FIU 
 
Newcomer of the Year
Magda Stambrowska, FIU 
 
Freshman of the Year
Kaira Knox, WKU 
 
Coach of the Year
Ben Wallis, UTEP 
 
CUSA First Team All-Conference
OH: Kira Givans, FIU
OH: Kayla Williams, Jax State
OH: Manu Johnsen, Kennesaw State
OH: Torrance Lovesee, UTEP
OH: Sara Pustahija, UTEP
MB: Danika Washington, UTEP
S: Callie Bauer, WKU
OPP: Kaira Knox, WKU
OH: Alivia Skidmore, WKU
MB: Izzy Van De Wiele, WKU
MB: Faith Young, WKU
 
CUSA Second Team All-Conference
S: Savannah Cook, FIU
OPP: Jillian Huckabey, FIU
L: Mandi Morioka, FIU
MB: Olivia Burrage, Kennesaw State
OH: Carly O’Brien, Liberty
OH/OPP: Jenna Otts, Liberty
OPP: Paige Overcash, Liberty
OH: Maggie Lightheart, NM State
S: Kalia Kohler, UTEP
MB: Kaya Weaver, UTEP
L: Tayler Baron, WKU 
 
CUSA All-Freshman Team
OH: Rebekah Pfefferkorn, FIU
S: Charlee Solomon, Jax State
S: Alison Bierwagen, Liberty
OH: Raegan Durbin, MTSU
S: Hannah Gardner, Missouri State
OH: Chloe Monson, Sam Houston
OPP: Kaira Knox, WKU