DALLAS – WKU was selected as the 2025 preseason favorite in Conference USA by the league’s 12 head coaches. UTEP’s middle blocker
Kaya Weaver was chosen as the CUSA Preseason Player of the Year.
WKU, the 2024 CUSA Champions, earned eight first-place votes with a total score of 118 after finishing last season with a 28-7 overall mark and a perfect 18-0 league record. The Hilltoppers enter the season receiving votes in the preseason AVCA poll, marking the 16
th-staight season that WKU has either received votes or been ranked. WKU has won 92 consecutive CUSA regular season matches, which is the most in CUSA history. The Hilltoppers haven’t dropped a conference match since the 2018 season.
UTEP (27-6, 16-2 CUSA) was picked to finish second in the league with four first-place votes and a total score of 114, as the Miners return majority of their starters from last season. UTEP finished second in the CUSA standings and ended the 2024 campaign with its first-ever NCAA tournament appearance. CUSA newcomer, Delaware (20-7, 15-3 CAA), was ranked third in the preseason poll after finishing runner-up at the 2024 CAA Volleyball Tournament.
Weaver, a senior at UTEP, was selected as the CUSA Preseason Player of the Year. The 2024 CUSA Defensive Player of the Year, AVCA All-America Honorable Mention and CUSA First Team All-Conference member competed in all 33 matches and led the Miners with 151 total blocks and a .439 hitting percentage, which ranked seventh nationally and first in CUSA. She added 279 kills, 27 aces and 393 total points on the season. The Galt, Calif., native posted 12 double-digit kill performances, all at a .300 or above efficiency and recorded a career-best .765 hitting clip against Air Force.
The league welcomes Delaware and Missouri State, bringing the membership to 12 schools in 2025. CUSA teams will compete in a single division this season with the top eight teams qualifying for the 2025 CUSA Volleyball Championship. FIU will host the single-elimination tournament November 21-23 in Miami, Fla.
2025 CUSA Preseason Player of the Year
Kaya Weaver, UTEP
2025 CUSA Preseason All-Conference Team
| Pos. |
Name, School |
Year |
Hometown |
| OH |
Anna Logan Gillen, Delaware |
Jr. |
West Columbia, S.C. |
| L |
Mandi Morioka, FIU |
Sr. |
Torrance, Calif. |
| OH |
Kayla Williams, Jax State |
Sr. |
Killeen, Texas |
| MB |
Olivia Burrage, Kennesaw State |
R-Jr. |
Jefferson, Ga. |
| OH |
Manu Johnsen, Kennesaw State |
Sr. |
Copenhagen, Denmark |
| OH |
Sara Pustahija, UTEP |
Sr. |
Belgrade, Serbia |
| OH |
Ema Uskokovic, UTEP |
R-Sr. |
Belgrade, Serbia |
| MB |
Danika Washington, UTEP |
Gr. |
Fort Worth, Texas |
| MB |
Kaya Weaver, UTEP |
Sr. |
Galt, Calif. |
| S |
Callie Bauer, WKU |
R-Sr. |
Hudson, Mich. |
| OH |
Alivia Skidmore, WKU |
So. |
Florence, Ky. |
| MB |
Izzy Van De Wiele, WKU |
Jr. |
Bettendorf, Iowa |
Predicted Order of Finish
| Rank |
School (first-place votes) |
Total |
| 1. |
WKU (8) |
118 |
| 2. |
UTEP (4) |
114 |
| 3. |
Delaware |
87 |
| 4. |
Kennesaw State |
85 |
| 5. |
NM State |
82 |
| 6. |
Liberty |
73 |
| 7. |
FIU |
50 |
| 8. |
Sam Houston |
49 |
| 9. |
Missouri State |
45 |
| 10. |
Middle Tennessee |
44 |
| 11. |
Jacksonville State |
33 |
| 12. |
Louisiana Tech |
12 |