ARLINGTON, Texas – Utah Valley was selected as the Western Athletic Conference’s (WAC) top volleyball team heading into the 2025 season according to the WAC Volleyball Preseason Coaches’ Poll that was released on Friday.
 
The Wolverines received five of the seven first-place votes and 34 points from the league’s head coaches. Last year’s WAC regular season and tournament champions, UT Arlington, placed second in the coaches’ poll with 29 points and one first-place vote. Utah Tech rounded out the top three notching 25 points and one first-place vote.
 
Utah Tech senior outside hitter Kennedi Knudsen was named the 2025 WAC Preseason Player of the Year. Knudsen appeared in all 99 sets for the Trailblazers last year and tallied 435.0 points (4.39/set) and 395 kills (3.99/set), both averages ranking fifth in the WAC. Knudsen set a Utah Tech single match record with 34 kills against Utah Valley on Nov. 2 last year, the most kills in a WAC game in 2024. Knudsen earned a spot on the 2024 All-WAC First Team.
 
Utah Valley junior setter Evalyn Chism was chosen as the 2025 WAC Preseason Setter of the Year. Chism concluded 2024 with a career-high 1,213 assists (10.02/set), the second-most in the WAC last year. Chism set a career-high 58 assists against Abilene Christian on Nov. 7, becoming the first Wolverine setter to reach 50 assists since 2008. Chism also finished the year with 16 double-doubles, adding 269 digs, 72 blocks and 77 kills to her 2024 resume.
 
UT Arlington junior Samantha Glenn was selected as the 2025 Preseason Libero of the Year. Glenn totaled 438 digs (3.84/set) last year and recorded double-digit digs in 28 matches, including a career-high 24 digs against California Baptist on Sept. 28.
 
The preseason favorite Utah Valley accounted for four selections on the 2025 Preseason All-Conference Team. UT Arlington collected two selections while California Baptist, Tarleton State and Utah Tech were also represented on the preseason team.
 
2025 WAC Volleyball Preseason Coaches’ Poll
 

Rank	Team (1st-Place Votes)	Points
1.	Utah Valley (5)	34
2.	UT Arlington (1)	29
3.	Utah Tech (1)	25
4.	California Baptist	21
5.	Abilene Christian	17
6.	Tarleton State	12
7.	Southern Utah	9

 
2025 WAC Preseason Player of the Year: Kennedi Knudsen, Sr., Utah Tech
2025 WAC Preseason Setter of the Year: Evalyn Chism, Jr., Utah Valley
2025 WAC Preseason Libero of the Year: Samantha Glenn, Jr., UT Arlington
 
2025 Preseason All-WAC Team 
Eliana Posada, Gr., RS, California Baptist
Emma Burke, Sr., MB, Tarleton State
Samantha Glenn, Jr., L, UT Arlington
Sophie Ocampo, R-Jr., OH, UT Arlington
Kennedi Knudsen, Sr., OH, Utah Tech
Sami Blackett, So., OH, Utah Valley
Evalyn Chism, Jr., S, Utah Valley
Avery Page, Sr., OH, Utah Valley
Bella Wooden, Sr., MB, Utah Valley