DALLAS (SMU) – SMU Volleyball opposite hitter Malaya Jones has been named to the AVCA Preseason Division I National Player of the Year Watch List, presented by Nike Volleyball, the organization announced Friday.

The 6-0 graduate from El Dorado Hills, Calif., Jones, is the first player in program history to earn a spot on the association's preseason list.

The 2025 Preseason Watch List includes 30 players from 20 different schools. More players can be added to the mid-season list in October, followed by a list of semifinalists in November, the announcement of the finalists in mid-December, and the reveal of the Player of the Year in Kansas City, Mo., at the AVCA Awards Banquet on Friday, Dec. 19.

Jones transferred to SMU from Colorado State, where she was an AVCA All-American Honorable Mention, AVCA West Region First Team, and the Mountain West Player of the Year in 2024. Last season, Jones ranked 13th nationally with 4.69 kills per set. Her 567 kills were the fifth most in the NCAA. Jones tallied 14 matches with 20 or more kills for the Rams last season, including 26 kills in the first round of the NCAA Tournament against Texas A&M.

Jones and the Mustangs will begin the 2025 regular season on Aug. 29 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, against LSU.

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