The 2024-25 NCAA volleyball season is nearing its end. However, the excitement is at its peak. With the post-season NCAA Championships currently underway, several of the nation’s biggest teams are still in the tournament. Defending champions Texas Longhorns, Nebraska Huskers, Marquette, Wisconsin, and many more are preparing for the Sweet 16 and regional finals matches. However, it seems the NCAA couldn’t wait until the tournament ended to drop some massive news.

On December 8, the College VBall Transfers social media handle announced the opening of the transfer window. “The 2025 Volleyball Transfer List is Live!” they posted on X. However, the post didn’t generate unanimous excitement among the fans. With teams and fans alike focusing on the upcoming high-stakes matches, the announcement generated confusion. So here’s a little clarity about a few key players and the current trend of the active 2025 transfer window.

The 2025 NCAA Volleyball transfer list has no shortage of offensive talent

In a crowded list of players on the transfer list, coaches are spoiled for choice when it comes to offensive specialists. Volleyball Mag pointed out six talented volleyball players who are part of the transfer window. Husker’s Illustrated’s Lincoln Arneal pointed out what every one of those six athletes had in common. And while there are no points for guessing, if you guessed offense, you’d be right.

“Here’s the list of players in the transfer portal, according to @VBMagazine. Lots of offense out there,” concluded Arneal. So who are these offensive volleyball talents who can boost top-level NCAA volleyball teams? According to Volleyball Magazine, the first standout on the list is Caylen Alexander. Hailing from Alpharetta, Georgia, the outside hitter had a spectacular 2024 season.

After bowing out to TCU, the Hawai outside hitter ended her, 2024 season leading Division 1 with 611 kills and 676.5 points. The Big West Offensive Player of the Year is among the best of the best when the biggest names on the transfer list. Another standout on the list is the California Golden Bears’ Maggie Li. A member of the Chinese Women’s National U20 Team in 2022, Li hails from Beijing.

The Sophomore has created history for the school’s volleyball program and established herself as one of the best offensive specialists in college volleyball. Some of Li’s several firsts include becoming the first freshman from the Golden Bears to earn recognition from Volleyball Mag. The first in Cal’s NCAA volleyball program history to earn the AVCA Pacific West Region Freshman of the Year.

She was also the only freshman to make the 2023 All-Pac-12 Team. While not quite as high as Alexander, she ended last season with 441 kills, the fourth-highest among all Division 1 freshmen. Baylor’s opposite hitter, Allie Sczech is another talent on the list. The 32nd recruit in all of America, she had one of the best rookie seasons in 2022, earning a Big12 Rookie of the Year award.

The Georgia Ranch High School graduate also made the 2022 All-Big 12 Second and Rookie Teams. Besides these names, Ohio State’s Grace Egan, Emmi Sellman, USC’s Jadyn Livings, and Kansas’s Ayah Elnady are some of the many talented names looking to transfer to a team where they will have their opportunity to shine. And while the transfer season is shaping up to be an exciting one, not everyone is happy with how things are playing out.

The transfer window announcement has brought a fair share of drama

The NCAA volleyball transfer window opening with only a handful of matches left in the national championships bewildered many. Among those who expressed their doubts was none other than former volleyball star Emily Ehman. “The #NCAAWVB transfer portal is officially open… Here we go!” Ehman expressed in her post.

“It really is so insane to me that coaches currently still in the NCAA Tournament now have to scramble and deal with recruiting, etc. I also realize it’s not uncommon across other college sports, but still,” added Ehman. Others agreed that the window should’ve opened later, as there’s barely a week left until the 2024 NCAA champs are crowned.

However, this was only the beginning of the drama, as Orlando Valkyries’s coach Amy Pauly didn’t hold back her opinions. “I’ve had a lot of friends get blindsided or screwed over in the last 48 hours so I won’t apologize for my take on the transfer portal.” Pauly posted on the X. Pauly alleged that there were those, “looking out for their best interest and finding EASY ways out.”

How do you ask? Well, the volleyball coach had answers for that too. “For any coaches that are tampering & reaching out to athletes during the semester, just keep in mind you are affecting another coach’s career & life. The impact is greater than you realize,” said the coach. However, Pauly also chose to look to the brighter side of things after the NCAA volleyball transfer window started.

“I’m going to choose to celebrate the amazing coaches I know for pouring into their athletes bc I know they outnumber the bad guys,” added Pauly. So while things may be ideal, the reality is that the transfer window is open and will run alongside the national championships for the championship finals. So only time will tell if the top of their teams still vying for the NCAA volleyball national title can focus on two things at the same time.