JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Announced by the Atlantic Sun Conference on Thursday, Lipscomb University Volleyball has been picked to win the league in 2025, and two student-athletes,
Courtney Jones and
Sophia Hudepohl, earned preseason superlative awards.
Voted on by the head coaches,
Courtney Jones was named a unanimous selection to the preseason All-ASUN Team and has been chosen as an early favorite for Player of the Year.
A two-time ASUN selection, including a First Team honoree last year, the senior started in all 30 matches last season and led the team in kills (372), kills per set (3.54), points (422.5) and points per set (4.02).
In the Bisons record book, she sits 12th all-time in kills (834) and 11th in kills per set (2.97).
Also securing a unanimous honor on the All-ASUN preseason team is
Sophia Hudepohl, who is the pick as the league's Setter of the Year.
The rising senior enters her final season with the Bisons as a Second Team All-ASUN selection and is a two-time All-ASUN member. Earning the ASUN Setter of the Year honor in 2023, she led the ASUN in 2024 conference matches in assists (690) and per set (10.95).
Nationally, she finished 63rd in Division I in assists per set (9.86), playing in all 30 matches.
She is currently third in program history in assists (3,418) and per set (10.33). She'll be looking to become the seventh player all-time to achieve 100 service aces in a career, as she will start the 2025 season with 90. She ended last season as the 13th-highest ranked player in Division I in assists and 12th in per set.
The Bisons, for a second straight year, are picked to win the regular season title, as voted on by the ASUN head coaches. Totaling 140 points, the Bisons secured eight of the 12 first place votes.
The 2024 squad finished with a 19-11 overall record and a 14-2 mark in the ASUN.
Overall, Lipscomb has won seven regular season titles, with the most recent coming in 2020 as a North Division champion.
Below is the full preseason coaches poll:
| Rk |
School (First Place Votes) |
Points |
| 1 |
Lipscomb (8) |
140 |
| 2 |
Florida Gulf Coast (3) |
122 |
| 3 |
Eastern Kentucky |
115 |
| 4 |
Central Arkansas |
110 |
| 5 |
Jacksonville |
87 |
|
North Alabama |
87 |
| 7 |
North Florida (1) |
86 |
| 8 |
Austin Peay |
47 |
| 9 |
Bellarmine |
42 |
| 10 |
Stetson |
41 |
| 11 |
Queens |
37 |
| 12 |
West Georgia |
22 |
Following an exhibition contest with Alabama on Friday in Tuscaloosa, Lipscomb will open the 2025 season with one of the best non-conference schedules in the country, starting with four of the first five matchups against Power 5 schools in Nebraska, Kentucky, Vanderbilt and Minnesota. The gauntlet will begin with the national preseason favorite in the Cornhuskers, according to the American Volleyball Coaches Association.
First serve will take place at 6 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 29, as the Cornhuskers will be the first-ever team with a national volleyball ranking of No. 1 to play inside Allen Arena.
