Women's Volleyball | 8/29/2025 5:46:00 PM

Granville, Ohio-The Denison Volleyball team looks to continue its North Coast Athletic Conference success this season, as it went 6-1 in conference play during the regular season last year. The Big Red climbed up to first in the preseason poll with six first-place votes. Last season, the team was ranked fourth in the poll.

2024 Season Recap

Denison ended their season with a 13-14 overall record while going 6-1 in conference play. The season started off slow, going 2-4 in their first six games with losses to nationally ranked Hope College and Calvin University. The team would go 6-8 before their first conference game against DePauw, which they reversed-swept, winning 3-2. They would then rattle off five more conference wins in a row before falling to Wittenberg at the end of the regular season. They then avenged their loss against Wittenberg in the NCAC Semifinals with a convincing 3-1 win and advanced to the NCAC Championship, where they fell at the hands of the eventual champion, Ohio Wesleyan. The season featured three All-NCAC honors and was named the Bridget Sheehan Coaching Staff of the Year for the sixth time in program history.

• The Big Red went on a five-game conference winning streak to start out NCAC play. In that frame, the team only lost a total of two sets.

• Alice Kempf was named First Team All-NCAC setter. She led the team and NCAC in assists (965) and assists per game (9.10).

• The Big Red Volleyball team defeated Wittenberg 3-1 in the NCAC Tournament Semifinal matchup. Denison stopped the Wittenberg Tigers' run of four consecutive NCAC Tournament championships.

• Denison ranked first in the conference in average points (15.64), assists (11.93), and kills (12.58).

2025 NCAC Preseason Poll

Position-By-Position Breakdown

The Big Red had only one senior graduate and brought in six first-year players for the 2025 season, bringing back an experienced group with one position needing to be filled.

Setter

First Team All-NCAC senior Alice Kempf will return as the setter for the Big Red. She started in 26 of 27 matches and led the team and conference in assists with 965, as well as assists per set with 9.10. She recorded 15 double-doubles and had a career-high 65 assists in a match against DePauw (9/28). She finished last season with 51 kills and 23 service aces. Also in the mix will be junior Katelyn Chiu, who played in 32 sets and 12 matches with 112 assists on the season.

Outside Hitter

Junior Claire Hamilton leads the way for returners on the outside. The returning First Team All-NCAC recipient led the conference in kills with 384 and kills per set with 3.62. She ranked third in points with 389.5 and had 20 matches with double-digit kills. She achieved a career high of 29 kills in a game last season against DePauw (9/28). Junior Ayla Dunbar will be in the mix, as she started 25 of 26 matches for the Big Red last season, and was second on the team in kills with 288 on 897 total attempts. Sophomore Devon Moore and Junior Emma Hampton both saw sets last season at the outside hitter spot as well.

Middle Hitter

The middle hitter position will need to be replaced as Cailey Johns graduated this past season. Senior Kate McCaffrey is a strong contender, having started in 19 matches and played in 72 sets last season. She recorded 92 kills on 237 total attempts for a hitting percentage of .291. Sophomore Kate Sicklick also found her way onto the court last season, as she started in seven matches and played in 37 sets. She recorded 23 kills on 82 total attempts for a hitting percentage of .110. Also in contention to be put into the Big Red's rotation are first-years Carolina Parkhurst and Margot Lewis.

Right Side

Junior Maeve Perry will return to the right side after having a breakout sophomore season. She started in 17 of her 20 matches played and had 167 kills (2.17 K/S) on 469 attempts for a hitting percentage of .162. Also in the mix will be senior Maxon Perkins, who last season recorded 13 kills on 50 attempts.

Libero/Defensive Specialist

Senior Sadie Habeeb returns to the defensive specialist position after a solid junior campaign. She ranked first on the team and third in the conference in digs with 499 (4.71 D/S) and second on the team in assists with 128. Also returning is junior Ryan Kotalik, who last season started in 18 matches, recorded 243 digs (2.43 D/S), and had a reception percentage of 88.8.

A Look at the Schedule

Denison kicks off the season at the Mount Union Invitational on August 29-30, before returning home for their first home match against Hope College on September 5. The first conference game of the season will be on September 27, as the Big Red take on the Wittenberg Tigers in Granville. The final regular-season game will be held on November 8 in Granville, prior to the NCAC Tournament, which begins on November 11.