COLUMBIA, Mo. - The Columbia College volleyball team earned a share of the American Midwest Conference (AMC) regular-season title with a 17-1 league record, and the Cougars led the league in postseason honors. Taylor Johnson was named AMC Defensive Player of the Year, while seven Cougars earned All-Conference honors, the most of any program in the league.

Columbia finished the regular season 31-7 overall and enters the AMC Tournament as the defending champion after sweeping Stephens last fall for the program's 25th conference tournament title.

Columbia had three First Team All-Conference selections, tied with Crowley's Ridge for the most in the league, while two more Cougars landed on the Second Team and two earned Honorable Mention. Heather Bana was named to the AMC Champions of Character Team presented by Athletic Solutions for the third straight season, and 17 Cougars earned Academic All-Conference honors.

The Cougars also collected 10 AMC Player of the Week awards during the regular season, tied with Williams Baptist for the most in the league, including eight of the 12 Defender of the Week honors. Johnson was named Defender of the Week five straight weeks (weeks seven through eleven), and Alayna Backes earned the award three times. Columbia swept all three weekly awards in week one, with Isabella Kincaid named Attacker of the Week, Hannah Vogt Setter of the Week and Backes Defender of the Week.

AMC Defensive Player of the Year / First Team All-Conference

• Taylor Johnson - named AMC Defensive Player of the Year and earned her second career First Team All-Conference selection. Played in all 124 sets and led the Cougars with 610 digs (4.92 per set), adding 54 service aces and 109 assists. A five-time AMC Defender of the Week, winning the award five straight weeks (weeks seven through eleven). Has 1,333 career digs.

All-Conference First Team

• Viola Giangreco - earned her second career First Team All-Conference selection. Played in all 124 sets and led the Cougars with 305 kills (2.46 per set) on a .277 attack percentage, adding 67 total blocks. Named to the 2025 AMC All-Tournament Team and earned AVCA Midwest Region Honorable Mention last season.
• Hannah Vogt - named First Team All-Conference for the first time, her third career All-Conference honor. Averaged 5.50 assists per set with 676 assists, led the Cougars with 78 service aces and added 233 digs. Earned AMC Setter of the Week honors in week one. The 2024 AMC Freshman of the Year has 1,850 career assists.

All-Conference Second Team

• Alayna Backes - named Second Team All-Conference in her first season with the Cougars. Led the team with 130 total blocks, including 27 solo, and added 166 kills on a .293 attack percentage. A three-time AMC Defender of the Week (weeks one, two and six).
• Alexa Olson - earned her second career Second Team All-Conference selection. Totaled 591 assists (4.93 per set), 209 digs and 13 service aces. Has 1,611 career assists.

All-Conference Honorable Mention

• Kenedi Canty - named Honorable Mention All-Conference, her second career All-Conference honor. Totaled 158 kills on a .247 attack percentage and ranked second on the team with 109 total blocks. The 2025 AMC Freshman of the Year, First Team All-Conference selection and AMC Tournament Most Valuable Player.
• Isabella Kincaid - earned her second career Honorable Mention All-Conference selection. Ranked second on the team with 278 kills and 358 digs, adding 19 service aces and 49 blocks. Earned AMC Attacker of the Week honors in week one. Has 598 career kills.

AMC Champions of Character Team

• Heather Bana - named to the AMC Champions of Character Team for the third straight season. A biochemistry major, she earned Academic All-Conference and NAIA Daktronics Scholar-Athlete honors in both 2024 and 2025 and was named Academic All-Conference again this season.