Marshall Volleyball Preview
By Shane Darling, FM88 Sports
Sept. 25, 2025
HUNTINGTON, W. Va. (WMUL-FM) — Marshall volleyball hosts the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers this weekend for a two-game Sun Belt Conference opening series at the Cam Henderson Center.
The Thundering Herd completed its pre-conference schedule with an 8-5 record, including a victory against the No. 72 team in the nation based on RPI, Wofford, who is back-to-back Southern Conference Champions. Other high-competition games from the Herd’s season so far include losses against Florida Atlantic University, the University of Michigan, and Virginia Tech University.
Marshall head coach, Heather Stout, said these high-competition games have prepared her team well for the style of play they’re going to see in the Sun Belt Conference.
Coastal Carolina completed its pre-SBC schedule with a 7-4 record, including games against four top 50 teams in the country. Also, the Chanticleers managed to take victories against the Big Ten’s Maryland University and the ACC’s North Carolina State.
“It’s going to be a battle of ball-control and who can handle first ball quality well because at the net, it’ll be a show,” Stout said.
Last season, the Thundering Herd came last in the Sun Belt Conference East Division, meaning the squad did not qualify for the Sun Belt Conference Tournament.
Marshall’s Bella Thompson, who was last week’s Sun Belt Conference Setter of the Week, said, “We have our ten returners. We worked really hard in the spring. We’ve now got eight great new pieces that have melded into the team super well. We’re just ready to go. We want to take the Sun Belt by storm this year.”
Standing in Marshall’s way is Preseason-Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year, Jalyn Stout, who already has 145 kills, 162 assists and 28 blocks in this young 2025 campaign.
The Thundering Herd was picked to come last in the SBC East Division in the Preseason polls again this year. Thompson said, “Everyone loves an underdog, and we’re ready to show them.”
Leading the Herd so far this year alongside Thompson are senior co-captain Beatrice Ciccarelli, who has 95 kills and 44 blocks, and freshman outside hitter Emma Barnett, who leads the team with 146 kills.
First serve is set for 6 p.m. on Friday, you can tune in on 88.1 WMUL-FM or Stream 1 online at www.marshall.edu/wmul/. FM88 Sports’ Shane Darling will be on the call for that one with FM88 Sports’ Connor Brown providing color commentary. The second game of the two-game series is set for 1 p.m. on Saturday, FM88 Sports’ Ben Anderson will be the call with FM88 Sports’ Ethan Patrick as the color analyst.