IRVING, Texas – For the second straight year, the Rice Owls have been selected as the preseason favorite in the 2025 American Conference Volleyball Preseason Coaches’ Poll, announced Tuesday. The poll was voted on by the league’s head coaches, who were not allowed to vote for their own team or players.
Rice collected nine first-place votes and 141 total points to claim the top spot. South Florida, the defending regular-season champion, followed closely in second with 136 points and the remaining four first-place votes. Wichita State, last year’s American tournament champion, ranked third with 120 points, while East Carolina (106) and Florida Atlantic (100) rounded out the top five.