According to Albion women’s volleyball coach Kristin Slamer-de St. Aubin, alumna ‘07, the Britons were “two points” away from an NCAA tournament berth this fall.
The volleyball team went 10-23 in 2024, marking their first losing season since 2017. Although the team ultimately fell short from entering the NCAA tournament, the 2025 fall season was statistically their second-best on record.
“We didn’t have the record we wanted last year,” St. Aubin said. “But we were really young, mostly freshmen and sophomores.”
Marine City junior Carly Frank said the roster stayed consistent this year, so the team was “very connected.”
The Britons finished 24-5 this season, earning the fewest regular-season losses on record, going back to the ‘70s. Despite having a “lot of players in first time roles,” St. Aubin said the team proved “resilient” and were “competitors all year long.”
The Britons went 9-0 in away matches and completed multiple reverse sweeps, meaning the team was down zero sets to two and came back to win three in a row.
The Brits also had four athletes earn spots on the All-MIAA Volleyball teams, and Frank was named an American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-American – the third in Albion’s history.
“We put a huge emphasis on our culture,” St. Aubin said. “We had those pivotal moments where players stepped up and said, ‘We are not going to lose this.’”
However, building team culture is “more than just practicing,” St. Aubin added.
“We all hang out outside of volleyball. Like, obviously the months from August to November, we’re literally together every single day,” Frank said. “But we try to make it a point to do more than just volleyball; it really helps.”
That culture made an impact on Brits stepping onto Albion’s court for the first time this year, including Battle Creek first-year Camille Oxley.
“When I first came in, I was a bit nervous,” Oxley said. “But the team was very welcoming, and I wasn’t as scared to make mistakes because I knew the team always had my back.”
St. Aubin said the “continued culture building” remains an offseason goal for both her and the team. She added the minimal roster turnover gives “more opportunities to grow closer together.”
As far as expectations for the future, Frank said the team is focused on “conditioning and getting stronger” during the spring season.
“We were really close to getting a national bid, and we didn’t,” Frank said. “And I think that lit a fire under us.”
With only a “few people graduating,” the team “is hungry for the next season,” St. Aubin said.
“I’m so proud of this team,” St. Aubin said. “And there is so much to look forward to.”
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