NEW ORLEANS – The Sun Belt Conference volleyball head coaches have voted Texas State and Georgia Southern as the divisional favorites in the 2025 Preseason Coaches Poll, as the league also announced individual honors and its preseason all-conference teams.
Both the Bobcats and the Eagles entered the tournament in 2024 as the two seed from their respective divisions with Texas State winning its fifth tournament title. The Bobcats claimed 95 points in the poll with eleven first-place nods to stand atop the West Division. Last year’s regular season champions in Arkansas State finished second with 81 points and the remaining three first-place votes. In the East Division, Georgia Southern tallied 87 points with nine first-place votes. James Madison (77 pts) held a slight advantage over Coastal Carolina (75 pts) as both programs were recognized with two first-place votes.
Coastal Carolina junior setter Jalyn Stout was selected as the Sun Belt Conference’s Preseason Player of the Year. A 2024 First Team All-Sun Belt Conference member and 2024 AVCA Southeast All-Region First Team, Stout currently leads all active NCAA Division I players with 34 career triple-doubles. She set the NCAA record for most single-season triple-doubles with 20 as a sophomore in 2024, breaking her record of 14 from her freshman campaign. The Gainesville, Florida native led all NCAA DI players with 26 double-doubles last season and leads all returning Sun Belt players in points and total kills. Stout posted double-digit assists in 29 of 30 matches, double-digit digs in 26 matches and double figure kills in 21 matches. Offensively, she tallied 20 or more kills in four matches.
South Alabama redshirt senior Anna Loberg garnered Sun Belt Preseason Setter of the Year honors after earning First Team All-Sun Belt honors in 2024. Loberg ranked second in the Sun Belt in assists (1,022) – which ranked as eighth-most in a single season at South Alabama – and assists per set (10.12). She averaged 11.13 assists per set during South’s 10-match win streak and led the team with 24 service aces. The Geneva, Illinois native recorded 30 or more assists in 20 of her 27 matches, 10 with 40 or more and a pair of 50-assists performances. She had a career-high 65 assists in the season finale versus Coastal Carolina (11/16) and also posted a career-best 19 digs in the match. The 65 assists marked the first 60-plus assists match by a Jaguar since Emily Hundt (65, vs. Montana, 9/5/14).
Southern Miss junior Libero Sunni Sheppard was named the Sun Belt Preseason Libero of the Year. In 2024, she led the conference in digs per set at 5.21 and total digs at 557. Sheppard maintained an 83.3% dig percentage and added 35 service aces, the fifth-highest total in the Sun Belt, and 84 assists. The Brandon, Mississippi native led a defensive unit for Southern Miss that finished atop the conference in total digs 1,873 and digs per set at 17.50. Sheppard recorded 13 matches with 20 or more digs, including four matches with over 30 digs.
App State, Arkansas State, Georgia Southern, South Alabama and Texas State each had two selections to the Sun Belt Preseason All-Conference team to lead the way. Coastal Carolina and Troy each earned one selection.
The 2025 Sun Belt Conference Volleyball Championship will take place November 20-23 in Foley, Ala., marking the 10th consecutive season the Foley Sports Tourism Complex hosts the event.
2025 Sun Belt Conference Volleyball Preseason Awards
Preseason Player of the Year
Jalyn Stout, Coastal Carolina (Jr., S, Gainesville, Fla.)
Preseason Setter of the Year
Anna Loberg, South Alabama (RS Sr., S, Geneva, Ill.)
Preseason Libero of the Year
Sunni Sheppard, Southern Miss (Jr., L, Brandon, Miss.)
Preseason All-Sun Belt Team
Kirsten Barrett, Georgia Southern (Sr., S, Cleveland, Ohio)
Reagan Barth, Georgia Southern (Jr., OH, Lenexa, Kan.)
Amiah Butler, Troy (Sr., OH, Pensacola, Fla.)
Daedrianna Cail, Arkansas State (Sr., MB, Marion, Ark.)
Jade Defraeye, Texas State (Sr., MB, Dunkirk, France)
Addison Heidemann, App State (RS Sr., S, Diller, Neb.)
Sarah Gooch, South Alabama (Jr., OH, Apopka, Fla.)
Anna Loberg, South Alabama (RS Sr., S, Geneva, Ill.)
Jalyn Stout, Coastal Carolina (Jr. S, Gainesville, Fla.)
Kaitlin Whitlock, Arkansas State (Jr., OH, San Antonio, Texas)
Maya Winterhoff, App State (Sr., MB, Charlottesville, Va.)
Samantha Wunsch, Texas State (RS Jr., OH, Austin, Texas)
2025 Sun Belt Conference Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll
East Division
1. Georgia Southern (9) – 87
2. James Madison (2) – 77
3. Coastal Carolina (2) – 75
4. App State (1) – 61
5. Georgia State – 44
6. Old Dominion – 27
7. Marshall – 21
West Division
1. Texas State (11) – 95
2. Arkansas State (3) – 81
3. South Alabama – 68
4. Troy – 54
5. Louisiana – 42
6. Southern Miss – 38
7. ULM – 14
Parentheses indicate first-place votes