MCVL, U.S.A. -- The results of the 2025 Midwest Collegiate Volleyball League's Preseason Poll as voted by the league's 10 head coaches:
2025 MCVL Coaches Pre-Season Poll
| Place | Team | Points (1st-Place Votes) |
| 1. | Baldwin Wallace | 61 (5) |
| 2. | Wittenberg | 57 (3) |
| 3. | Mount Union | 49 (1) |
| 4. | Trine | 40 |
| 5. | Calvin | 39 |
| 6. | Wabash | 25 |
| 7. | Adrian | 24 |
| 8. | Mount St. Joseph | 19 |
| 9. | Olivet | 10 |
Baldwin Wallace University has been chosen as the favorite for the 2025 Midwest Collegiate Volleyball League's regular-season title. The Yellow Jackets were the MCVL's tournament champion and regular-season tri-champion in 2023, and finished tied for second last season. Wittenberg, picked second in the poll, was the 2024 regular-season champion. Trine was picked fourth after a 2024 MCVL tournament win and a strong showing in the NCAA's first round. The MCVL now has nine members after Fontbonne University's departure.
Kyle Mars is BWU's head coach. The Jackets (61 points in the poll) were 7-2 in the league last year and earned the two seed in the league tournament. Wittenberg (57 points) is led by head coach Nathan Matthews, who is the two-time league Coach of the Year. The Tigers won the regular-season championship last season. Matt Mihelic coaches at Mount Union (49 points) where he has a regular-season and tournament title on his resume. Trine's head coach is Will Dowdy. The Thunder upset Wittenberg in the league-tournament final last season and then took Loras to five sets on the Duhawks' homecourt in the NCAAs. Calvin was picked fifth (39), followed by Wabash (25), Adrian (24), Mount St. Joseph (19), and Olivet (10).
Things start to get settled on Friday, February 21 when the first league matches of the year hit the hardwood.
Digging Deeper ...
| 1. Baldwin Wallace | |
| Head Coach | Kyle Mars |
| 2024 Overall / MCVL Record (Place) | 13-14 / 7-2 (t2nd) |
| 2024 MCVL Tournament | Semifinal (lost to Trine, 3-2) |
| Key Returnees | Michael Beard (Gr., OH) > 1st Team All-MCVL in 2024; Reed Fisher (Sr., MH) > 2nd Team All-MCVL in 2024; Owen Huynh (So., OH) > HM All-MCVL in 2024. |
| Coach Mars Quote | "We're looking forward to another season of high-level volleyball, and are grateful to be able to represent Baldwin Wallace and compete in the MCVL." |
| 2. Wittenberg | |
| Head Coach | Nathan Matthews (2024 MCVL Coach of the Year) |
| 2024 Overall / MCVL Record (Place) | 19-9 / 9-0 (1st) |
| 2024 MCVL Tournament | Runner-Up (lost to Trine in championship, 1-3) |
| Key Returnees | Michael Yurk (Jr. OH) > 1st Team All-MCVL and MCVL All-Tournament Team in 2024; Eli Halverson (Jr., OH) > 2nd Team All-MCVL and MCVL All-Tournament Team in 2024; Reese Monnin (So., OH) > 2nd Team All-MCVL in 2024. |
| Coach Matthews Quote |
"The entire MCVL should have a chip on our shoulder heading into this season. Trine went 14-16 in the fifth set with Loras (1st CCIW) in the NCAA tournament. Wittenberg beat Aurora (T-1st in NACC) and BW beat Benedictine (2nd in NACC). Yet our conference received zero all-region honorees while the NACC and CCIW combined for nine. I'm excited to see our conference once again prove that we have some of the best players in the country."
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| 3. Mount Union | |
| Head Coach | Matt Mihelic |
| 2024 Overall / MCVL Record (Place) | 13-10 / 7-2 (t2nd) |
| 2024 MCVL Tournament | Semifinal (lost to Wittenberg, 1-3) |
| Key Returnees | Jack McClure (Sr., OH) > 1st Team All-MCVL and MCVL All-Tournament Team in 2024; Will Heeney (Sr., S) > 2nd Team All-MCVL in 2023; Michael Bowler (Jr., MH) > 2nd Team All-MCVL in 2024. |
| Coach Mihelic Quote | "We are excited about this year with a large group of upperclassmen mixed with some talented freshmen. We are excited to see how it all comes together." |
| 4. Trine | |
| Head Coach | Will Dowdy |
| 2024 Overall / MCVL Record (Place) | 19-7 / 7-2 (t2nd) |
| 2024 MCVL Tournament | TOURNAMENT CHAMPION (defeated Wittenberg, 3-1) |
| Key Returnees | Kevin Boncaro (Sr., Opp) > 1st Team All-MCVL and MCVL All-Tournament Team in 2024; Johnson-Kuhao Ho'okano-Pelekai (Jr., OH) 1.76 kills/set and 1.63 digs/set in 2024; Karl Both (So., MB) 1.05 blocks/set in 2024. |
| Coach Dowdy Quote | "This fall, we have seen a lot of growth and success in our program. We brought in a talented group of freshmen that are helping us to continue to grow and move forward. This is a different group than we have had the past few years, but they are eager to get the season started. I am excited to see how we can stack up in another loaded MCVL season." |
| 5. Calvin | |
| Head Coach | Spencer Fredrick |
| 2024 Overall / MCVL Record (Place) | 6-19 / 3-6 (t6th) |
| Key Returnees | Nick Bultje (So., MB) > HM All-MCVL in 2024; Gabe Laughlin (Sr., Opp.) > HM All-MCVL in 2024; Parker Steele (Jr., L) > 2.55 digs/set in 2024. |
| Coach Fredrick Quote | "We are just excited to see the growth of the team in its second year. Now that we have some experience, I'm excited to see what our young group does this year." |
| 6. Wabash | |
| Head Coach | Ashaun Baker |
| 2024 Overall / MCVL Record (Place) | 15-11 / 3-6 (t6th) |
| Key Returnees |
Bawibawi Thang (So., OH) > HM All-MCVL in 2024; Jackson Leeper (Sr., MH) > 2.55 kills/set in 2025; Will Beikes (Sr., S) > 9.40 assists/set in 2024.
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| Coach Baker Quote | "This year, we face a schedule unlike any in Wabash history. I am appreciative of the unwavering commitment to excellence from all 17 athletes. Our team culture and the competition level in our gym have forged something extraordinary, setting a new standard for our program. We understand the MCVL is a challenging conference stacked with tough athletes and competitive coaches, but we will do everything in our efforts to make our first appearance in the MCVL conference tournament." |
| 7. Adrian | |
| Head Coach | Jose Soto |
| 2024 Overall / MCVL Record (Place) | 16-12 / 4-5 (5th) |
| Key Players |
Sam Landers (So., OH) > HM All-MCVL in 2024; Beck Fieldhouse (Sr., OH) > 2.21 kills/set in 2024; Carson Bell (Jr., MB) > 0.84 blocks/set, 1.23 kills/set in 2024.
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| Coach Soto Quote | "Despite graduating half of our starting lineup from last year, we have an exciting group of guys here this year and there will be new faces on the court. All the guys are eager to get the ball rolling this season and have been working hard during the fall in preparation for it." |
| 8. Mount St. Joseph | |
| Head Coach | Eric Santiago Garcia |
| 2024 Overall / MCVL Record (Place) | 6-15 / 2-7 (9th) |
| Key Returnees | Ryan Bollhauer (Sr., MB) > 2nd Team All-MCVL in 2024; Ben Carmosino (Sr., S) HM All-MCVL in 2024 > Daniel Jude Lewis (Sr., OH) > 2.52 kills/set in 2024. |
| Coach Santiago Garcia Quote | "Last season provided a lot of growth for our young core. They're working hard and are hungry to keep growing every day. We're excited to take on 2025 and to keep building on all the positive things we've picked up along the way." |
| 9. Olivet | |
| Head Coach | Gabe Murley |
| 2024 Overall / MCVL Record (Place) | 5-25 / 0-9 (10th) |
| Key Returnees | Will Mensching (Sr., S) > 2.25 digs/set in 2024; Matthew Tollar (Jr., L) > 1.14 digs/set in 2024; Thayne Bilicki (Sr., MB) > 0.85 kills/set in 2024. |
| Coach Murley Quote | "We will have a lot of new faces on the court for the 2025 season. We have a very large group of underclassmen that will be led by some upperclassmen in key positions. We took some big strides in our fall season and are looking forward to the upcoming MCVL season." |