LAGRANGE, Ga. – The LaGrange College women's volleyball team is gearing up for their 2025 season under third-year head coach Daniel Schulte, and expectations are high for the Panthers' continued improvement.
 
The Panthers will look to senior middle-hitter Zentrina Choice (Sumter, S.C.) for leadership. Last year Choice led the team with a .204 kill percentage with 207 total kills and 251.5 total points. Choice also posted 38 total blocks in 2024 with a 2.01 kills-per-set average. Sophomore outside hitter Ella Kahikina (Tampa, Fla.) is coming off a brilliant rookie campaign where she led the Panthers with team-high averages of 2.53 kills and 2.99 points-per-set.
 
Behind Choice's work at the net, the LaGrange defense will look to sophomore setter Julia Damico (North Port, Fla.) and sophomore libero Isabella Zentkovich (Sharpsburg, Ga.) to hold off the opposition. Damico averaged 3.10 digs per set while Zentkovich was second with 2.56. Damico set the table for the offense, leading the team with 439 set assists and 4.26 assists per set. Zentkovich also led the Panthers with 30 service aces while Damico was right behind her with 26.
 
LaGrange claims a talented recruiting class of nine rookies, led by outside hitter Alex Krabs (Boynton Beach, Fla.), middle-blocker Kaitlyn Smith (Buckeye, Ariz.) and outside hitter Jasmine Gross (Antioch, Tenn.).
 
The 2024 season saw the team improve their winning percentage from .160 to .276, going 8-21 with a 5-11 record in Collegiate Conference of the South (CCS) action, just one spot out of a playoff spot.
 
The team opens their season on Friday when they travel to Emory University for the Jenny McDowell Invitational. The Panthers play Saint Catherine's University at 2:00 p.m. before squaring off against the Mississippi University for Women at 4:30 p.m.
 
The Panthers begin their home schedule on Wednesday, September 3^rd when they host the Panthers of Clark Atlanta University in a 7:00 p.m. match. They'll open CCS league play on Saturday, September 20^th when they travel to Belhaven University for a 1:00 p.m. match against the Green.
 
For continuing coverage of LaGrange College Athletics, visit lagrangepanthers.com and follow the Panthers on Instagram ( @lagrange_panthers ), Twitter ( @lcpanthers ) and Facebook ( LaGrange Panthers ).