In terms of attendance, viewership, and entertainment, the 2025 AVCA First Serve was a resounding success. Over 42,000 fans attended a match during the event, and the opening match of the season (Nebraska versus Pitt) drew 771,000 viewers on FOX, making it the second most-viewed regular season women’s college volleyball match ever.

Now that these first eight matches of the season have concluded, I thought it would be fun to create an All-First Serve team, with a catch—I can only choose one player from each team. Due to the level of talent on display, this actually ended up being easier than expected, but I still had to make some tough decisions.

Here’s my final lineup:

Setter: Izzy Starck, Penn State

I’ve sang her praises before, and based on the way sophomore Izzy Starck has been playing so far this season, I don’t expect that I’ll stop any time soon. Starck is simply a phenomenal setter, and I firmly believe she is the best in her position in Division I volleyball. She ends the weekend with 91 assists and 25 digs, as well as four kills of her own in addition to three blocks. Some of the sets she makes, particularly those when she’s on the move chasing down an errant pass, make my jaw literally drop.

Opposite: Olivia Babcock, Pitt

The best three opposites in college volleyball were all in at least one match this past weekend, but Olivia Babcock felt like the natural choice. While Pitt started its season in a surprising 0-2 fashion, the reigning National Player of the Year did everything she could to help her team stay competitive. Over the course of Pitt’s two matches, she racked up 55 points, including 46 kills, six block assists, and five aces. Babcock’s defense isn’t to be overlooked either, as she notched 18 digs on the weekend as well. While fellow opposites Kennedy Martin and Logan Lednicky are undeniably excellent, Babcock is, in my opinion, the most well-rounded of the three.

Outside Hitter #1: Ava Martin, Creighton

By points per set alone, Ava Martin is the winner of the AVCA First Serve event, with a whopping 20 points across just three sets. Not only did she put away 19 kills in Creighton’s three-set loss to Penn State, she did so on an outstanding efficiency of .357. While the loss was undoubtedly not the way Creighton wanted to begin their season, two of the three sets were tightly contested largely due to Martin’s stellar offense. Without fellow outside Norah Sis to balance the offense this year, Martin is likely to take more swings than ever before, and Saturday’s performance demonstrated that she is up to the task.

Outside Hitter #2: Jordyn Byrd, Florida

Jordyn Byrd never saw any playing time in her first two seasons at Texas (one of which she redshirted), but if her first two matches with Florida are anything to go by, she’s determined to show why she deserves time on the court. Byrd’s debut with the Gators saw her total 17 kills across four sets on an efficiency of .368; she followed that performance up with 23 kills in Florida’s five-set victory over Pitt. At 6’4” (193 cm), Byrd has a high point of contact that allows her to hit some truly beautiful angles, and her connection with setter Alexis Stucky looks rock solid.

Middle Blocker #1: Ifenna Cos-Okpalla, Texas A&M

Ifenna Cos-Okpalla is coming off of a successful summer with the U23 National Team; she was named MVP and Best Blocker of the U23 Pan American Cup, where she and the team won gold. Now, she’s back with the Aggies and proving why she’s so decorated. In just four sets, Cos-Okpalla put up eight blocks against Minnesota and added another eight kills on a stunning .667 efficiency. She is truly lethal in both facets of the game, and her thunderous attacks are truly beautiful to watch.

Middle Blocker #2: Rebekah Allick, Nebraska

While Andi Jackson often is considered the star middle blocker at Nebraska, Rebekah Allick put on an absolute show this past weekend. Allick was phenomenal in both her outings this weekend, but she was especially devastating against Stanford, hitting .600 with 11 kills and 5 blocks. She’s made notable strides in both her offense and defense, and considering she was already more than adequate in both areas, Nebraska’s opponents should be wary of her moving forward.

Libero: Hailee Mack, Vanderbilt

Vanderbilt volleyball is back for the first time in 45 years, and while the Commodores didn’t win their first match, they gave #14-ranked Kansas just about everything they could handle. Sophomore libero Hailee Mack was an absolute superstar, ending the five-set match with an outstanding 28 digs (5.6 per set).