PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Plymouth State University women's volleyball team was picked to finish fourth in the Little East Conference (LEC) this fall, following a vote of the league's head coaches as the conference released its annual Preseason Coaches' Poll on Tuesday.
 
Plymouth State earned 42 points to edge Eastern Connecticut (40) for fourth place in the poll. UMass Dartmouth, which defeated the Panthers in each of the last two LEC Tournament championship matches, was the overwhelming favorite to repeat, collecting eight first-place votes and 64 points. UMass Boston claimed the final first-place vote to land second with 55 points, while WestConn was third with 48 points.
 
Head coach Joan Forge is back on the sidelines for her eighth season after guiding PSU to the championship match in each of the last three years. The Panthers posted their fifth straight 20-win season in 2024, finishing 25-4, and own a remarkable 30-2 record in conference play since 2021.
 
The 2025 squad will feature several new faces, as PSU graduated 11 players from last year's roster. Sophomore setter Danielle Emerson (Biddeford, Maine) impressed as a rookie, appearing in 28-of-29 matches while leading the team with 4.76 assists per set and adding a team-high 60 aces. Classmate Cami Wessels (Plantsville, Conn.) hit .340 with more than two kills per set from the outside, while Forge will look to a mix of returners and talented newcomers to keep the Panthers in the conference title hunt.
 
Plymouth State opens the season with four matches at the Virginia Wesleyan Tournament (Aug. 29-30), followed by a tri-match with Lasell at WPI on Sept. 6. The Panthers' home opener is set for Sept. 11 against New England College, while the LEC opener is Sept. 27 against Rhode Island College at Foley Gymnasium.