FULTON, Mo. - In a year full of change for William Woods University, Owls volleyball opens its first campaign in the Heart of America Athletic Conference with an entirely new coaching staff, though maintains continuity with the return of an AVCA All-American in Pamela Durazo highlighting one of three all-conference returners for a WWU squad that brought back a significant amount of its roster from a season ago.

Guiding The Woods as it serves up a new era in the Heart of America is Aubrey Wilson, who joined the four-year university in Fulton after spending the last two years at the helm of a two-year program, NJCAA Division I Seward County Community College in Liberal, Kansas.

In Wilson's first season at Seward County (2022; assistant coach), the Saints finished as NJCAA Division I Region VI Tournament champions and made a trip to the NJCAA National Tournament. During Wilson's tenure at SCCC, she coached a first-team NJCAA Division I All-American middle blocker, second-team AVCA All-American and KJCCC Most Valuable Player in '22, along with four All-KJCCC players - second-team setter in '23 and first-team middle blocker, two first-team outside hitters and an honorable mention right-side hitter in '22. On top of coaching award-winning players, Wilson's Seward County squad finished with the highest team GPA of all SCCC athletic teams.

Following that successful spell in charge of the Saints, Wilson begins a new challenge, with this year being her first leading a four-year program.

"Super excited," Wilson said. "I think the four-year jump for anyone, whether it's a player or a coach, is very exciting and something that people look forward to and have on their goals. I played pretty much every level, and then I have coached now pretty much every level. It's pretty exciting to go through the phases and see the differences as a player and as a coach, and then knowing that you can relate to those kids because you've been there before."

When she played volleyball collegiately, Wilson had the opportunity to compete for three teams and was at four different programs: NJCAA DI Hutchison Community College in Hutchison, Kansas (2014-15), NCAA DI University of Arkansas at Little Rock (2016), NCAA DII Washburn University in Topeka, Kan. (2017; received a medical redshirt) and ended her playing career at a familiar foe for WWU that also joined the Heart from the American Midwest Conference this year, NAIA Missouri Baptist University (2018).

In that stretch, Wilson received numerous accolades while taking the court as a setter/right-side hitter, including 2015 Jayhawk West Player of the Year, 2015 first-team NJCAA DI All-American, eight-time Jayhawk Player of the Week, NJCAA DI National Player of the Week once and 2018 honorable mention All-AMC selection.

To play to that level, Wilson has had key mentors throughout her volleyball journey.

"I think that I've always looked up to anyone who has coached me," Wilson shared. "My parents coached me through junior high and high school. Both of them had a stint in college coaching as well, so I think that they've played a very big role and are good mentors. But I think that the coaches that I've coached under and played under, coach (Chris) Nichols, who was at MO Bap, and now he just helps out there. He's someone that I have always had for a listening ear. I think that coach (Philip) McDaniel at Henderson State, who gave me my first opportunity to become a coach, really led the way for me, trying to make those moves. I think that looking back, my Hutch coach, coach (Patrick) Hall, was really tough on me, but it was always out of love. We don't keep in contact as much now, but that's someone who I think always just created that love for the game for me, and was always a listening ear as well."

Gaining knowledge from those mentors, Wilson built the foundations for the coaching style she has applied to her Owls team.

"As far as philosophy, I'm just a go-getter, so we got a hustle," Wilson stated. "We're going to put in our fundamentals, and it's expected for the girls to buy in and learn that. I think that one thing that is very contradictory for coaches: some coaches want to go back there, and they want you to serve as hard as they can, and if they miss, they don't care. You have some coaches that just want to keep the ball in play.

"I want to serve hard, but I don't want to go back there, and we miss every other serve. We have two aces, and then we have three misses. I think that's something that's really big in the college game. You have to be able to serve aggressively, but you don't want to give away free points. Then, as far as offensively, I think that a fast offense, especially at this level, is going to get you a big key to success. That's something that we've been implementing and working on."

Helping Wilson implement her coaching are graduate assistant Ana Araup and volunteer assistant Andressa Borges, who was a second-team All-AMC honoree for the Owls last year.

"We have coach Ana and Andressa, and we're really excited for both of them to help us," Wilson said. "They both have that international experience as well as recruiting that way, so we have that little key piece there. They were also both very successful players. They bought into my coaching style and our philosophy here, so now they're able to more directly coach, now that they understand our goal here. 

"They're just a lot of help. I know sometimes it's hard to find good help nowadays. I've had good help and bad help before, but these two, I can give them something to do, and it'll get done. I don't have to worry about going back and doing it again. I think that throughout the season, they'll get more comfortable being able to coach. Now it's my turn to give back and give them their first coaching experience as well and be a mentor for them."

With the coaching staff overhaul, Wilson has been pleased with how her players have adjusted to the changes.

"I think so far, seeing this group has really bought in, obviously, coming in with a new coach, you have people like Erin Treis and Kennedy Lane who have had maybe four different coaches in four different years, and just having that change that they weren't necessarily maybe expecting, but they're buying in," Wilson said. "I like hustle, I like lots of energy, and I think this group is a group that's gonna fight to the end and never give up, no matter the situation."

Speaking of groups, Durazo will be a spearhead in William Woods' offense this year, coming off a 2024 campaign in which she was named the Owls' first AVCA All-American in eight years and also earned AMC Newcomer of the Year, AVCA first-team All-Midwest Region, first-team All-AMC and AMC All-Tournament Team.

Filling up the stat sheet in her remarkable season, Durazo posted 401 points (team-high), 289 kills with a .409 hitting percentage (team-high and fourth in the NAIA), 118 blocks (team-high and second in the AMC) and 46 aces (team-high) over 127 sets in 2024.

"Super excited to keep Pam," Wilson expressed. "I think that's something coming in as a new coach, you want to make sure that players like Pam, who perform on the court, but also are a good leader, want to stick around. I think that for any of these girls that stuck around, that's something that we're really thankful for. But Pam will be someone that we lean on, obviously, just because we know that she can get the job done on the court, and we're excited to see her success individually, but also helping us as a team this year."

Another senior leader in the Owls' offensive is fellow first-team All-AMC selection Luciana Paiva Pereira, who hails from Varginha, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Last season, Paiva Pereira also took home AVCA honorable mention All-Midwest region honors and showcased her combined academic and athletic excellence, receiving CSC Academic All-District.

During her award-winning junior year, Paiva Pereira recorded 323 points, 301 kills - team-high 2.57 kills per set - with a .277 hitting percentage in 117 sets.

"Luci's been working hard in preseason," Wilson shared. "Me and her have a fun relationship already, but she's gonna go after it every time. You're not going to have someone who's timid; she's going to give you her all, and she's going to go to score every time. That's something that we look for, being aggressive, but also being smart. She's been trying a different role a little bit this preseason as well. I think that she's really bought into that new role, and that she's going to be someone else that we can really lean on."

Rounding out the trio of All-AMC Owls returners is Erin Treis, who's capping off a standout four-year career at WWU, remaining a strong setter in that time despite all the changes. Treis also picked up CSC Academic All-District in 2024, and she was a double-double threat in assists and digs in most matches, totaling 670 assists (5.23 per set) and 335 digs (2.62 per set) on the year.

"She's one that has stuck it out with four different coaches in four different years, and that's just something that you can appreciate," Wilson stated. "Just off the bat with that, we're excited for her to help us run our offense this year. She really bought in in the spring. She wants to get better. She wants to know what she's doing wrong and what she needs to do to make it right and improve. I think that's someone that we can trust. She's a leader off the court as well. She's very vocal for us, and that's someone that we want running our offense."

While Durazo, Paiva Pereira and Treis may be known names in the team and possibly to opponents, Wilson mentioned some others that she thinks will excel this fall.

"We've had some really good surprises this preseason as well," Wilson said. "I think that's something when it comes to our back line. We have Allie Miller coming off of surgery; Cecilia Campos is coming in for us, she's going to be a sophomore; and then, Divana Hearne, who is a transfer for us. All three are really pushing each other on that back line. In outside position, you have Roberta Carlos de Silva, who's returning; Kennedy Lane, who's returning off of her foot; and then we have Ivi Marcelli, who is a transfer from Eastern Arizona.

"It's really exciting just to see these girls compete. Giovanna Mye came from Mineral Area. We expect her to be able to come in and help run our offense this year as well. We got a couple of freshmen who will be pushing each other for that open middle position. But right now, I think throughout the preseason, nothing is set in stone. We had some really good surprises this preseason, so we've got another week for girls to fight for their spot and get it figured out, because our season and home opener is soon.

Facing off against the opposition that the Heart of America Conference brings with it, Woods will need to have that mentality. In the first NAIA Coaches' Top 25 Poll of 2025, two Heart teams made it inside the rankings, Missouri Baptist (209 votes) at No. 19 and Central Methodist University (85) at No. 25, while three were just outside and receiving votes, MidAmerica Nazarene University (34), Park University (31) and Benedictine College (18).

"Super exciting, and I think it's something that's going to be different for this whole group of girls, because this is going to be where you have to show up every game," Wilson said. "There are no games that we can necessarily mess around with. I think that's going to be good mentally and physically for these girls that we have to come in and compete. I also think that's something to look forward to, and that's exciting to come in and compete and play your best volleyball every single night and as a whole, I think that by the end of the season, everyone's going to be playing their best, and it's going to come down to who has that grit and fight."

Taking a look at the schedule, the Owls are slotted to face No. 25 Central Methodist at 6 p.m. Oct. 1 in Fulton and Oct. 21 in Fayette, Mo., No. 19 Missouri Baptist Oct. 10 in Creve Coeur, Mo., and Oct. 28 in Fulton, (RV) Benedictine Oct. 25 in Atchison, Kan., (RV) Park on Oct. 31 in Fulton and (RV) MidAmerica Nazarene on Nov. 1 in Fulton. A notable nonconference matchup for WWU will be when it hosts old AMC opponent (RV) Columbia College at 6 p.m. Oct. 15.

"We're not coming in as underdogs," Wilson said. "We're not coming in as a rebuilding year. So, we expect to come in and perform our best. Obviously, we got some top 25 teams in this new conference, and we've got some teams receiving votes. But that doesn't mean that we can't come in and compete and get better every single day and make a run for it."

The Owls open their season, home slate for William Woods' 2025-26 school year, hosting the William Woods University Invitational from Thursday to Saturday at Anderson Arena. On Thursday, WWU gets its campaign underway with matchups against Friends University at 3 p.m. and Mid-America Christian University at 7 p.m.

"Getting our girls just as many games as they possibly can, I think that's the key for preseason, especially with a lot of new coaching, new girls," Wilson said. "We have some young girls, some returners, so as many touches as they can get on the ball. We're excited to get started and grateful for the opportunity, and hope to see a lot of people out there supporting, and we appreciate the support."