Madison, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse volleyball team is picked to finish eighth in the 2025 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) standings in a preseason poll conducted by the league's head coaches and sports information directors. The preseason poll was announced by the conference office Wednesday.

A LOOK INTO THE WIAC

• Preseason Poll Results: UW-Oshkosh was picked to secure its third straight WIAC regular-season championship followed by UW-Whitewater and UW-Eau Claire. The remaining order in the conference predictions features: UW-Stevens Point, UW-Platteville, UW-Stout, UW-River Falls and UW-La Crosse.
• 2024 Season: The Eagles finished 6-24 overall and 0-7 in the WIAC. UW-Oshkosh won the WIAC regular season title by going 6-1 while UW-Whitewater defeated UW-Oshkosh in the WIAC Tournament Championship. 
• 2024 All-WIAC Honors: Earning WIAC Honorable Mention All-Conference honors was Gabby Johnson. 

A LOOK INTO THE 2024 EAGLES

• Seniors Paige Geiser and Reese Yocum along with juniors Grace Nommensen and Kayla Sexton will look to lead the Eagles offense in 2025. Last season, Geiser finisehd second on the team in kills with 180 while Yocum was third with 172. Nommensen split duties as a hitter and a setter as she finished with 128 kills and 113 assists. Sexton was limited due to injury but finished with 127 kills in 20 matches. 
• Senior libero Taylor Larson led the Eagles defense in 2025 as she finished with a team high 487 digs whiile primary defender Megan Jasperson finished with 161 digs. Sexton and Nommensen also played a key role in UWL's defense as they averaged 1.96 and 1.45 digs per set, respectively.
• UWL will look to a new setter in 2025 as they will be replacing starter Jackie Oetterer who graduated after last season. Junior Sydney Hoeft is the only returning setter on while freshman Megan Lund and Kailyn Kurth join the Eagles roster this fall.
• The Eagles welcome six new faces to the program including Lund, Kurth, Kennedy Myers, Maddy Wilson, Laurel Erickson and Sydney Marx. 

FROM COACH DEB'S OFFICE

• Coach Sazama enters her third season at the helm and fourth season with the UWL volleyball program. After serving as the Eagles assistant coach in 2022, Sazama moved over one seat and became the Eagles head coach in May of 2023. 
• Sazama was the assistant women's volleyball coach at Winona State (Minn.) from 2003-06, assisting with all aspects of the Warriors' program. Prior to arriving at Winona State (Minn.), Sazama was the head women's volleyball coach at Defiance (Ohio) from 2000-03.
• Beginning her first season on the UWL staff is Nellie George who was hired in April. George served as a volunteer assistant in 20024 and before that spent 16 years coaching in the high school ranks along with ninge years coaching club volleyball.