NAPERVILLE -– Reigning College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) women’s volleyball champion Illinois Wesleyan was the recipient of eight first-place votes and 64 points to claim the top spot in Tuesday’s preseason CCIW coaches’ poll for the 2025 season.
 
2025 CCIW Women's Volleyball Preseason Coaches' Poll

Team (First-place votes)	Points
1. Illinois Wesleyan (8)	64
2. Millikin (1)	54
3. Carthage	51
4. North Central	37
5. North Park	34
6. Elmhurst	30
7. Augustana	23
8. Wheaton	19
9. Carroll	12

The Titans swept last season’s CCIW regular-season and tournament championships and are the preseason league favorite in women’s volleyball for the third time since 2018. IWU advanced to the Sweet Sixteen of last season’s NCAA Tournament for just the second time in program history.
 
Millikin was slotted second in the 2025 conference poll, notching one first-place vote and 54 total points. The Big Blue finished second in the league standings last fall before advancing to the CCIW Tournament championship. MU ultimately joined IWU in the Sweet Sixteen of last season’s national postseason.
 
CCIW coaches picked Carthage third on the ballots submitted earlier this month, giving the Firebirds 51 total points. CC was 6-2 in the league a year ago, tying Millikin for second place. North Central was picked fourth in the 2025 poll with 37 points, followed by North Park in fifth position with 34 points.
 
Elmhurst was sixth with 30 points, followed by Augustana (23 points), Wheaton (19 points) and Carroll (12 points). 
 
The 2025 regular season will officially start next Friday, Aug. 29 with all nine CCIW teams taking the floor across seven different states. CCIW competition begins Wednesday, Sept. 19.