LANCASTER, Pa. – Eight-time defending champion Johns Hopkins has been chosen as the favorite to repeat in the 2025 Centennial Conference Volleyball Preseason Poll. The Blue Jays grabbed nine first-place votes and accumulated 99 points in the preseason prognostication from conference head coaches.
2024 runner-up Swarthmore was picked to finish second, collecting the remaining two first-place votes and 87 points. Franklin & Marshall finished third in the voting with 83 points, while Gettysburg (77), Haverford (63) and Ursinus (51) were also projected to fill out the six-team playoff field in fourth through sixth place, respectively.
Dickinson (46), Muhlenberg (40), Washington College (30), McDaniel (19) and Bryn Mawr (10) rounded out the voting.
The 2025 season is set to open up on Friday, Aug. 29 with nine of the 11 CC squads in action on opening day. Centennial competition commences on Saturday, Oct. 4, with the six-team CC playoffs slated for Nov. 12-14-16.
2025 Centennial Conference Volleyball Preseason Poll
| Rank | Institution (First-Place Votes) |
Points |
| 1. Johns Hopkins (9) |
99 |
| 2. Swarthmore (2) |
87 |
| 3. Franklin & Marshall |
83 |
| 4. Gettysburg |
77 |
| 5. Haverford |
63 |
| 6. Ursinus |
51 |
| 7. Dickinson |
46 |
| 8. Muhlenberg |
40 |
| 9. Washington College |
30 |
| 10. McDaniel |
19 |
| 11. Bryn Mawr |
10 |
2025 Schedule | 2024 Championship Results | 2024 All-Centennial Team | History & Records | AVCA Preseason Poll
The 2024 season was a historic one for Centennial volleyball, as three conference teams - Johns Hopkins, Franklin & Marshall and Gettysburg - qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the first time in the 32-year history of the conference. The CC had previously sent two teams to the national tournament 11 different times, including three-straight seasons prior to 2024.
Gettysburg earned a first-round victory in the NCAA postseason, while Hopkins went on to secure its third consecutive and fourth overall regional title. The Blue Jays swept past Bridgewater State, Carnegie Mellon and Ithaca en route to another appearance in the Elite Eight. JHU then edged Wisconsin-Oshkosh 3-2 in the quarterfinals in Salem, Va., before falling to Wisconsin-Whitewater, 3-2, in the national semifinals. JHU's semifinal run was the second-deepest in CC history, bested only by the Blue Jays' national title team in 2019.
Hopkins (33-3), Gettysburg (24-6) and F&M (23-7) each notched 20-win seasons for the second year in a row last season, marking the 10th time in the past 12 years that at least three CC teams reached the 20-win threshold.
Gettysburg and Johns Hopkins are now tied for the all-time lead in CC titles with 11 apiece. F&M is next with six championships, followed by Haverford (4) and McDaniel (3).
JHU outside hitter Simone Adam headlines a strong list of returning players to the Centennial this fall. A two-time All-American, including a first team pick last fall, Adam is the reigning CC Player of the Year and the only three-time All-CC honoree that will step foot on the court this season. In 2024, Adam produced the eighth-most kills in CC single-season history since the adoption of the 25-point scoring format in 2008 (417), while also ranking 13th all-time in kills per set (3.72) and 12th all-time in hitting percentage (.353). Adam is on pace to etch her name among the best in CC history with another standout season for the Blue Jays this fall. Fellow senior teammate Helena Swaak, a setter, is the other player with All-American laurels to their name back in the CC this year. Swaak was a third team All-American as a sophomore in 2023.
The Hopkins duo are two of six All-Region returners and two of 17 All-Centennial performers back in the fold. F&M setter Liah Perez and Gettysburg middle hitter Mary Huegel are both two-time All-Region honorees. Huegel ranks 18th on the CC all-time block list (340) entering her senior campaign and is currently second in CC history in career blocks per set (1.164).
Swarthmore welcomes back the most All-CC performers of any conference team with five, followed by Hopkins (4), Dickinson (3), F&M (3), Gettysburg (1) and Haverford (1). Garnet sophomore setter Melissa Eyer is the reigning AVCA Region 5 Freshman of the Year, CC Defensive Player of the Year, and Rookie of the Year, and was just the 18th freshman in conference history to collect first team All-Centennial recognition last year.
Hopkins is ranked third in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Coaches' Top-25 Preseason Poll and also garnered three first-place votes. The Blue Jays were one of just three squads to receive first-place votes. Gettysburg and F&M were two of 25 additional squads to receive votes in the poll.
Returning All-Americans (2)
Simone Adam, Johns Hopkins, Sr., OH (2024 First Team, 2022 Honorable Mention)
Helena Swaak, Johns Hopkins, Sr., S (2023 Third Team)
Returning All-Region (6)
Liah Perez, Franklin & Marshall, Sr., S (2024 Honorable Mention, 2023 Honorable Mention)
Mary Heugel, Gettysburg, Sr., MH (2024 Honorable Mention, 2023 Honorable Mention)
Gia Frank, Haverford, Jr., OPP (2024 Honorable Mention)
Simone Adam, Johns Hopkins, Sr., OH (2024 First Team, 2022 First Team, Freshman OTY)
Helena Swaak, Johns Hopkins, Sr., S (2023 First Team)
Melissa Eyer, Swarthmore, So., L (2024 Freshman of the Year)
Returning All-Centennial (17)
Amelia Kim, Dickinson, Sr., OH/RS (2024 Second Team)
Avery Butcher, Dickinson, So., L/DS (2024 Second Team)
Camille Dofiles, Dickinson, Sr., S (2022 Honorable Mention)
Liah Perez, Franklin & Marshall, Sr., S (2024 First Team, 2023 Second Team)
Avery Grantham, Franklin & Marshall, So., MH (2024 Honorable Mention)
Coco Shultz, Franklin & Marshall, Sr., OH (2024 Honorable Mention)
Mary Heugel, Gettysburg, Sr., MH (2024 First Team, 2023 First Team)
Gia Frank, Haverford, Jr., OPP (2024 Second Team)
Simone Adam, Johns Hopkins, Sr., OH (2024 Player OTY & First Team, 2023 Second Team, 2022 First Team & Rookie OTY)
Helena Swaak, Johns Hopkins, Sr., S (2023 First Team, 2022 Second Team)
Ivy Swafford, Johns Hopkins, Jr., OPP (2024 Honorable Mention)
Alice Yu, Johns Hopkins, Sr., OPP (2022 Honorable Mention)
Alexia Enache, Swarthmore, Jr., OH (2024 First Team)
Melissa Eyer, Swarthmore, So., L (2024 Defensive POTY, Rookie OTY & First Team)
Emily Sun, Swarthmore, Jr., S (2024 Second Team)
Isabel Adam, Swarthmore, So., OH (2024 Honorable Mention)
Ellie Streeper, Swarthmore, Sr., DS/L (2022 Second Team)
