CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – The Coe College Volleyball team secured the top spot in Thursday's American Rivers Conference preseason coaches' poll, earning six first-place votes and a total of 62 points. The Kohawks will be led by first-year head coach April Elsbernd, a 2003 Coe graduate with over 15 years of head coaching experience. Elsbernd will lead a strong group of returning seniors, including 2024 A-R-C MVP Maddy Maahs, who ranked in the top 10 in Division III for total assists. 
 
"I'm extremely grateful to be back in the A-R-C at my alma mater, and to have the opportunity to coach this very determined and experienced group of seniors," added Elsbernd. "We are looking forward to a tough non-conference schedule and to rise to the challenge of playing one of the most competitive American Rivers Conference seasons in recent history. The Kohawk returners and first-years are excited and ready to get the 2025 season started!"
 
Coe's 2025 season begins with a trip north for the Kathryne Pals Legacy Invitational, facing UW-River Falls (8/29), hosts Northwestern (8/30) and Bethel (8/30) in a tough early season test. The Kohawks then return to Cedar Rapids for their first home match of the year, hosting Augustana (9/5) prior to a pair of non-conference matches against Bethany Lutheran (9/6) and Saint Mary's (9/6) in Winona. A cross-town clash with Cornell (9/10) precedes a pair of home matches with Saint Benedict (9/13) and Gustavus (9/13). Coe is back to tournament action the following weekend, facing Rose-Hulman (9/19), Wittenberg (9/20) and hosts Illinois Wesleyan (9/20) in Bloomington, Illinois. 
 
The Kohawks begin conference play a few days later on the road at Elsbernd's old stomping grounds, facing Dubuque (9/24) before another midweek match on the road at Luther (9/30). Coe wraps up the road trip with a non-conference match at UW-Platteville (10/2) and later hosts its first A-R-C match, welcoming Loras (10/8) for a midweek matchup. The final tournament of the regular season takes the Kohawks to Holland, Michigan, facing a trio of 2024 NCAA tournament teams in UW-Eau Claire (10/10), hosts Hope (10/11) and Millikin (10/11). 
 
The Kohawks return to Cedar Rapids for three straight matches at home, hosting Central (10/17), Simpson (10/18) and Cornell (10/21). The following three matches come on the road, facing Grinnell (10/23), Buena Vista (10/31) and Nebraska Wesleyan (11/1) in the final A-R-C road trip. The Kohawks conclude their home schedule the following week with a midweek clash against Wartburg (11/5) and later conclude the regular season in Chicago against Ohio Wesleyan (11/8) and North Park (11/8). 
 
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