The UIS Volleyball team has been ranked 7th in the 2025 Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) Volleyball Preseason Poll, compiled from votes of the league's head coaches. The poll, which sparks preseason interest and provides early media recognition, ranks all 14 conference teams and serves as an indicator of expected performance.

UIS earned 84 points in this year's poll, placing the Prairie Stars in a spot that projects them to qualify for the GLVC Tournament, as the top eight teams advance. Lewis tops the preseason rankings with 152 points and five first-place votes, followed by Quincy and Rockhurst.

The Prairie Stars, under the direction of first-year head coach Laura Ulrich, return key talent in first team All-GLVC outside hitter Makenna Cox and second team All-GLVC setter Erica Sledge. Last season, UIS was picked 10th in the preseason poll but finished as the fifth seed in the GLVC Tournament, ultimately falling to Rockhurst in the opening round. This year's improved ranking marks a step forward as the team looks to build on its progress.

Before opening conference play with back-to-back matches against Lewis and Indianapolis on September 26–27, the Stars will compete in a series of tournaments to develop early-season chemistry.

The seventh-place preseason ranking sets an optimistic tone for UIS as they prepare for the 2025 campaign.