LEXINGTON, Ky. - The American Volleyball Coaches Association released its preseason Taraflex Division III Women's Volleyball Top 25 Poll, and the University of Northwestern was among the teams receiving votes to begin the season. The Eagles began and ended the 2025 season receiving votes in the poll as well.

Click here to see the full AVCA poll.

UNW received 31 votes, which puts them at 35th in the rankings entering the season. The Eagles are the only UMAC team to ever receive AVCA Top 25 votes, and have been a consistent presence in the rankings for years under Beth Wilmeth, who is entering her 23rd season at the helm, and have reached as high as No. 3 in the poll on multiple occasions (2022, 2023).

Northwestern will face several teams featured in the poll this season, including a showdown with unanimous No. 1 UW-Oshkosh on Saturday, September 19th at St. Catherine. UNW was one of only three teams to defeat the Titans last season, upsetting the eventual national champions in Oshkosh in September. The night before the Oshkosh match, the Eagles will take on No. 12 Juniata, who ended Northwestern's 2022 season in the Final Four of the DIII National Tournament in the only prior meeting between the two schools. UNW will also host No. 24 Dubuque on September 11th, as well as St. Olaf (October 28th) and Gustavus Adolphus (November 4th), who are among the teams receiving the most votes outside the top 25.

The Eagles' season will begin on Tuesday, September 1st at Saint Benedict.