It was a season of marked improvement for the St. Lawrence University volleyball team, returning the program's success rate to familiar territory in 2025. The team went 17-11 on the year, posting its highest win total in four seasons.

The Saints competed among some of the best teams in the region in conference play, and head coach Shelly Roiger was encouraged by the group's resolve as they returned to competitiveness among that crowded field.

"I'm very proud of the progress and improvement that was made this season," Roiger said. "This 2025 team was a tremendous group to work with and I'm very happy for them in terms of returning our success rate to where it has historically been. The 17 wins was the highest in four years and it's an honor to be a part of the Liberty League where five of the top seven teams in our region in the final poll are from our league. It's tough competition every conference match and our next step is to make a return to the Liberty League playoffs, an item that is definitely on the bucket list for 2026 and the returners are already training to do so."

The Saints were led offensively by Araiza Acum-Santos, who paced the team with 317 kills. With her performance this season, Acum-Santos now ranks fourth all-time in program history in career kills per set at 2.86.

Setting the attack was Vanessa Latam, as the team captain led the team with 793 assists. Latam's leadership on and off the court helped drive the Saints' offensive balance and tempo throughout the season.

The Saints also celebrated several individual and team awards at the conclusion of the year. Rowan Mottau was named the team's Most Improved Player, while Rose Meihaus earned Teammate of the Year.

Looking ahead, Latam and Bridget Gammons will serve as team captains for the 2026 season.

Another milestone belonged to Gammons, who finished her sophomore year as the program's all-time leader in hitting percentage, posting a program-best .286 over her two years to this point.

 "I can't say enough about the leadership of captains Berit Brecke, Maggie Layman, and Vanessa Latam, and the entire senior class," Roiger said when reflecting on her program leadership group.

"This was the best team chemistry we've had in my 20 years of coaching and the success on the court was a reflection of the friendships and camaraderie off the court. The culture that this entire senior class helped develop is strong. I hope that as they exit the program, the Class of '26 can take a lot of pride in knowing the role they played in that because that's the impact that lives on long after you graduate."

With a solid foundation in place, strong returners already training, and a clear goal of returning to the Liberty League playoffs, the Saints exit the 2025 season positioned to continue pushing the program forward.