WINTHROP, Mass. – Coming off back-to-back GNAC Tournament semifinal appearances, the Saint Joseph's College volleyball program has once again been recognized among the league's top contenders in the 2025 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Monks were picked fifth with 149 points, finishing just one point shy of Simmons for fourth place in the balloting conducted by the conference's 13 head coaches.

Saint Joseph's enters the new season following a 2024 campaign that showcased continued growth and signature victories under Head Coach Jon Roberts. The Monks posted a 15-17 overall record with a 10-5 conference mark, notching double-digit GNAC wins for the second straight year. In the postseason, sixth-seeded Saint Joseph's knocked off third-seeded Regis on the road in the quarterfinals, 3-1, securing a GNAC Tournament victory for the second consecutive season. The Monks' run came to a close several days later with a hard-fought 3-1 setback at perennial power Johnson & Wales in the semifinals, but the effort underscored the program's steady rise toward championship contention.

Lasell University, winner of the last two conference titles, was tabbed as the preseason favorite with 190 points and nine first-place votes. Regis (174 points, three first-place votes) was slotted second, while Emmanuel (155 points, one first-place vote) and Simmons (150) ranked third and fourth, respectively. Saint Joseph's narrowly trailed in fifth, followed by Rivier (138, one first-place vote), Colby-Sawyer (110), New England College (94), Dean (90), University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) (58), Mitchell (52), Elms (45), Albertus Magnus (42), and Norwich (23).

The 2025 GNAC volleyball season begins on Friday, August 29, with non-conference action across the region. Conference play opens Saturday, September 13, with a full round-robin slate. The top eight teams at the conclusion of the regular season will advance to the GNAC Tournament, scheduled for November 11–15, with the champion earning the league's automatic berth into the NCAA Division III Volleyball Championship.


2025 GNAC Women's Volleyball Preseason Poll