MONROE, La. – ULM volleyball begins its 2025 season with an in-state road trip at the Southeastern Showdown in Hammond, La. A doubleheader with the host Southeastern Louisiana at 12:30 p.m. and SWAC member Jackson State at 4 p.m. marks the first two games on Aug. 29. The invitational ends the next day on Aug. 30 with an 11 a.m. match with Louisiana Tech. ULM trails in the all-time series with the Lions and Bulldogs, holding a record of 6-30 and 15-28, respectively. It leads the series with the Tigers 13-4.
 
"We're glad to finally be back on the court," head coach Reid Gann said. "I like the mindset our team has going into this weekend."
 
FOLLOW THE WARHAWKS –
ESPN+ will provide coverage for only the first match vs. Southeastern Louisiana. Links to both live streaming and stats can be found on ulmwarhawks.com. Navigate to the volleyball schedule and select the desired match.
 
STAYING IN THE BOOT –
The Warhawks will play their first 12 of 14 non-conference matches within Louisiana to start the campaign. For the first time since 2022, they will play their first home game for Sun Belt play, hosting three consecutive matches with Jackson State, Alcorn State, and Lamar from Sept. 13-16.
 
REID TAKES COMMAND –
Gann will make his Warhawks debut on Friday. The Belmont, Miss. Native spent his first six seasons coaching at Blue Mountain State, winning a total of 130 matches and leading the program to three NAIA National Championship Tournament appearances. Before Blue Mountain State, Gann coached at New Albany High School and his alma mater at Belmont High School.
 
MORE OF MORGAN –
Junior setter Morgan Howard returns for her third season and second season as the primary assist expert. Her 747 total assists led the team by a wide margin in 2024 and her 7.62 assists per set ranked sixth in the Sun Belt Conference. She also provides offensive support with 43 kills and was second on the team with 24 service aces this past year. A similar production line in 2025 puts her on pace to potentially crack the top five all-time assist leaders in program history by the end of the campaign.
 
"Morgan provides a calming presence for us when things don't go our way," Gann said. "She's a leader for us and provides us with a rallying point."
 
RETURNING PRODUCTION –
ULM returns six total players from the 2024 roster. Redshirt-junior Sandlin Short and Sophomore Camryn Kimes provide defensive support in the back end. Short registered 24 total digs (2.00 per set) this past season. Kimes ranked fourth for the Warhawks in total digs with 129 and enters as one of two libero candidates for the year. The other player wearing a different-color jersey is redshirt-junior Briana Raney. Her 2.46 digs per set were fourth best for the team in 2024.
 
"Libero is one of the positions we're evaluating at the moment," Gann said. "We'll watch through practices and see who we feel will be the best fit for the team."
 
The Warhawks also return experienced junior middle blocker Kenzie Behl and senior right-side hitter Amelia Piekut to bolster the lineup.
 
TRANSFER TANDEM –
The 2025 roster features four transfers, with one having Division I experience at Delaware State and the other three hailing from Daytona State College and Feather River College. Paige Meins played setter for two seasons for the Hornets, recording 140 assists with 54 digs in 2024. Jaliyah Chones and Beril Celek played together for the Falcons in 2024, while Kristine Bakhad once donned a Golden Eagle presence from California.
 
FRESHMAN WAVE –
Eight freshmen are present for the Warhawks in 2025 from seven states and one international country. Tennessee leads the way with outside hitter Kennedy Plummer and defensive specialist Eden Pietrzak. Outside hitter Madison Derden originates from the state above in Arkansas, and middle blocker Ariel Gogley comes from Florida. Mississippi native Molly Muller bolsters the middle blocker position. Outside hitters Chavon Weaver, Aniya Hall, and Defne Aydin come from Ohio, Texas, and Turkey, respectively.