BRIDGEWATER, N.J. – The NEC released its 2025 Women's Volleyball Preseason Poll on Thursday afternoon, with the FDU Knights picked to finish second by the league's coaches.

Two-time NEC Coach of the Year David Nguyen will aim to continue his streak of championship match appearances this season. Since arriving in Hackensack, the Knights have advanced to the NEC title match in each of his first three years. As he enters his fourth season, FDU has its sights set on a return to the NCAA Tournament.

This year's roster features several returners who have played key roles in the program's recent success. Junior setter Avery Bain and senior middle blocker Kylie Nott are both coming off career seasons in which they earned all-conference honors. Senior right side MacKenzy Ruggiero set a career high in kills in 2024 and looks to bookend her career with a second conference championship. Nguyen also returns defensive familiarity in Kyndal Ganoe, a senior libero.

Nguyen added seven freshmen and two junior transfers to the roster in the offseason. Ava DeGuzman, an outside hitter, spent the first two years of her collegiate career at Iona. Also joining the Knights is outside hitter Nihal Kocakara from Daytona State.

The top four teams in the rankings come as no surprise, as they are the same four that competed in last year's NEC Tournament. LIU tops the poll after hiring reigning NEC Coach of the Year Tony Trifonov, who led Chicago State to a league title last season. The Sharks earned one more first-place vote than the Burgundy and Blue to secure the top spot. Saint Francis U and Chicago State round out the top four.

205 NEC Women's Volleyball Preseason Poll
1. LIU (4)
2. FDU (3)
3. Saint Francis U (2)
4. Chicago State
5. Mercyhurst
6. Stonehill
7. CCSU
8. New Haven
9. Le Moyne

FDU begins their season on August 29 with a weekend in Utah. The Knights will face BYU to kick off their season before taking on High Point and Central Michigan to close out the weekend.