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Kat Lutz
Photo by: Elijah Carr
UCLA Picked Fifth in Big Ten Volleyball Preseason Poll
July 24, 2025 | Women's Volleyball
ROSEMONT, Ill. โ The UCLA women's volleyball team was picked to finish fifth out of 18 teams in the 2025 Big Ten Women's Volleyball Preseason Poll, it was announced by the conference office Thursday morning.
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Four Bruins earned spots on the 20-member Big Ten Volleyball Preseason All-Conference Team, tying Nebraska for the most selections in the league. Outside hitters Cheridyn Leverette and Maggie Li joined middle blockers Marianna Singletary and Phekran Kong in receiving the preseason honors.
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In its first season as a Big Ten member, UCLA women's volleyball finished 14โ15 overall and 8โ12 in conference play. The Bruins recorded notable wins over No. 14 Georgia Tech, No. 24 Washington, and Ohio State, while pushing several ranked opponents to five sets, including reigning NCAA National Champion Penn State.
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Nebraska was picked as the conference favorite, followed by Penn State, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. The Cornhuskers posted a regular season record of 33-3 and finished atop the Big Ten standings with a 19-1 mark in conference play.
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Leverette emerged as one of the nation's top players following a breakout 2024 campaign that earned her AVCA All-America Honorable Mention and First Team All-Big Ten honors. After seeing limited action in 2022, she became a key starter in 2023, ranking third on the team with 288 kills and leading UCLA in service aces. By 2024, Leverette led the Bruins in five statistical categories, racked up 435 kills, including three 20+ kill performances, and delivered a standout 29-kill outing at Purdue, the highest single-match total by a Bruin in three seasons. Her consistency was remarkable, recording double-digit kills in 27 of 28 matches and becoming just the fifth Bruin in the rally scoring era to post 20 consecutive matches in double figures.
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Li joins UCLA after two standout seasons as a dynamic outside hitter at Cal. In 2023, she led all Division I freshmen in multiple categories and became the first player in program history to earn both AVCA Pacific West Region Freshman of the Year and VolleyballMag All-America Honorable Mention. Li sustained her dominance in 2024, starting every match and finishing among the ACC's top three in kills, kills per set, and total points. She totaled 463 kills and seven double-doubles across the season, earning Pac-12 and ACC weekly honors at record-setting rates. Her seven matches with 20+ kills included a season-high 28 against Saint Mary's.
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Singletary played three seasons at Texas, emerging as one of the country's most dominant middle blockers. After redshirting in 2022, she made her debut in 2023 and contributed in 15 matches, including appearances in the NCAA Final Four. Her breakout came in 2024, when she played all 27 matches and led the Longhorns with 134 blocks, including 18 solo. She also posted career highs with 189 kills and 1.95 kills-per-set, earning AVCA All-Region honors and a spot on the All-SEC First Team. Singletary made conference history as the first player to be named SEC Defensive Player of the Week in three consecutive weeks.
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Kong appeared in three straight NCAA Final Fours and played in two National Championship matches (2022, 2024), totaling 320 kills and 320 blocks across her tenure. In 2024, she started 23 matches and led the team with 97 blocks, averaging 1.08 per set, while adding 111 kills and recording at least one kill in every outing. Her 2023 season earned her AVCA All-East Region honors, as she led the team in blocks (117), posted 203 kills with a .319 hitting percentage, and registered double-digit kills in multiple matches, including 13 at Georgia Tech. As a freshman in 2022, Kong played in every NCAA Tournament set en route to the National Championship and posted a team-high 11 blocks versus Pittsburgh. She was also invited to train with the USA Volleyball Women's National Team Open Program.
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2025 BIG TEN VOLLEYBALL PRESEASON POLL
1. Nebraska
2. Penn State
3. Wisconsin
4. Minnesota
5. UCLA
6. USC
7. Purdue
8. Washington
9. Illinois
10. Michigan
11. Indiana
12. Oregon
13. Ohio State
14. Michigan State
15. Northwestern
16. Maryland
17. Iowa
18. Rutgers
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2025 BIG TEN VOLLEYBALL PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
Allison Jacobs, MICH, Gr., OH
Julia Hanson, MINN, Sr., OH
Mckenna Wucherer, MINN, Sr., OH
HARPER MURRAY, NEB, Jr., OH
ANDI JACKSON, NEB, Jr., MB
BERGEN REILLY, NEB, Jr., S
Rebekah Allick, NEB, Sr., MB
KENNEDY MARTIN, PSU, Jr., OPP
IZZY STARCK, PSU, So., S
Gillian Grimes, PSU, Sr., L
Cheridyn Leverette, UCLA, Sr., OH
Maggie Li, UCLA, Jr., OH
Marianna Singletary, UCLA, RS-Jr., MB
Phekran Kong, UCLA, Gr., MB
Adonia Faumuina, USC, Jr., OH
Kierstyn Barton, WASH, Jr., OH
Julia Hunt, WASH, So., MB
Carter Booth, WIS, Sr., MB
Mimi Colyer, WIS, Sr., OH
Charlie Fuerbringer, WIS, So., S
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Unanimous Selection in ALL CAPS
* - additional players due to tie in voting
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Four Bruins earned spots on the 20-member Big Ten Volleyball Preseason All-Conference Team, tying Nebraska for the most selections in the league. Outside hitters Cheridyn Leverette and Maggie Li joined middle blockers Marianna Singletary and Phekran Kong in receiving the preseason honors.
ย
In its first season as a Big Ten member, UCLA women's volleyball finished 14โ15 overall and 8โ12 in conference play. The Bruins recorded notable wins over No. 14 Georgia Tech, No. 24 Washington, and Ohio State, while pushing several ranked opponents to five sets, including reigning NCAA National Champion Penn State.
ย
Nebraska was picked as the conference favorite, followed by Penn State, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. The Cornhuskers posted a regular season record of 33-3 and finished atop the Big Ten standings with a 19-1 mark in conference play.
ย
Leverette emerged as one of the nation's top players following a breakout 2024 campaign that earned her AVCA All-America Honorable Mention and First Team All-Big Ten honors. After seeing limited action in 2022, she became a key starter in 2023, ranking third on the team with 288 kills and leading UCLA in service aces. By 2024, Leverette led the Bruins in five statistical categories, racked up 435 kills, including three 20+ kill performances, and delivered a standout 29-kill outing at Purdue, the highest single-match total by a Bruin in three seasons. Her consistency was remarkable, recording double-digit kills in 27 of 28 matches and becoming just the fifth Bruin in the rally scoring era to post 20 consecutive matches in double figures.
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Li joins UCLA after two standout seasons as a dynamic outside hitter at Cal. In 2023, she led all Division I freshmen in multiple categories and became the first player in program history to earn both AVCA Pacific West Region Freshman of the Year and VolleyballMag All-America Honorable Mention. Li sustained her dominance in 2024, starting every match and finishing among the ACC's top three in kills, kills per set, and total points. She totaled 463 kills and seven double-doubles across the season, earning Pac-12 and ACC weekly honors at record-setting rates. Her seven matches with 20+ kills included a season-high 28 against Saint Mary's.
ย
Singletary played three seasons at Texas, emerging as one of the country's most dominant middle blockers. After redshirting in 2022, she made her debut in 2023 and contributed in 15 matches, including appearances in the NCAA Final Four. Her breakout came in 2024, when she played all 27 matches and led the Longhorns with 134 blocks, including 18 solo. She also posted career highs with 189 kills and 1.95 kills-per-set, earning AVCA All-Region honors and a spot on the All-SEC First Team. Singletary made conference history as the first player to be named SEC Defensive Player of the Week in three consecutive weeks.
ย
Kong appeared in three straight NCAA Final Fours and played in two National Championship matches (2022, 2024), totaling 320 kills and 320 blocks across her tenure. In 2024, she started 23 matches and led the team with 97 blocks, averaging 1.08 per set, while adding 111 kills and recording at least one kill in every outing. Her 2023 season earned her AVCA All-East Region honors, as she led the team in blocks (117), posted 203 kills with a .319 hitting percentage, and registered double-digit kills in multiple matches, including 13 at Georgia Tech. As a freshman in 2022, Kong played in every NCAA Tournament set en route to the National Championship and posted a team-high 11 blocks versus Pittsburgh. She was also invited to train with the USA Volleyball Women's National Team Open Program.
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2025 BIG TEN VOLLEYBALL PRESEASON POLL
1. Nebraska
2. Penn State
3. Wisconsin
4. Minnesota
5. UCLA
6. USC
7. Purdue
8. Washington
9. Illinois
10. Michigan
11. Indiana
12. Oregon
13. Ohio State
14. Michigan State
15. Northwestern
16. Maryland
17. Iowa
18. Rutgers
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2025 BIG TEN VOLLEYBALL PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
Allison Jacobs, MICH, Gr., OH
Julia Hanson, MINN, Sr., OH
Mckenna Wucherer, MINN, Sr., OH
HARPER MURRAY, NEB, Jr., OH
ANDI JACKSON, NEB, Jr., MB
BERGEN REILLY, NEB, Jr., S
Rebekah Allick, NEB, Sr., MB
KENNEDY MARTIN, PSU, Jr., OPP
IZZY STARCK, PSU, So., S
Gillian Grimes, PSU, Sr., L
Cheridyn Leverette, UCLA, Sr., OH
Maggie Li, UCLA, Jr., OH
Marianna Singletary, UCLA, RS-Jr., MB
Phekran Kong, UCLA, Gr., MB
Adonia Faumuina, USC, Jr., OH
Kierstyn Barton, WASH, Jr., OH
Julia Hunt, WASH, So., MB
Carter Booth, WIS, Sr., MB
Mimi Colyer, WIS, Sr., OH
Charlie Fuerbringer, WIS, So., S
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Unanimous Selection in ALL CAPS
* - additional players due to tie in voting
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Players Mentioned
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
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