Limestone’s Lamberti wins 2025 CSM Volleyball Player of the Year

Mia Lamberti has had the drive to be the best for quite a while.

The Limestone junior’s volleyball journey began in a church gym and has taken her to the biggest stage in the state, all around the country with her club team and soon to Huff Hall, where she’ll suit up for the University of Illinois beginning in the fall of 2027. 

The Rockets’ outside hitter and setter put up another huge campaign in her junior season and is Clutch Sports Media’s 2025 Volleyball Player of the Year. 

Lamberti put up her second straight 400-kill, 400-assist season while leading Limestone to a 34-3 record and a Mid-Illini Conference title. She totaled 402 kills and 406 assists, averaging nearly five of each per set while hitting .367. Lamberti was also the Rockets’ top server with 67 aces on the season and added 137 digs and 13 blocks. 

The CSM Player of the Year distinction is the latest in a long list of accolades that she picked up during the year, including AVCA third team All-American honors. Lamberti was also an IVCA Class 3A first team all-state player and was a unanimous first team all-Mid Illini pick for the third year in a row. She was a Clutch Sports Media All-Area player, joining teammates Khloe Stear and Bryn Williamson on the first team. 

During the season, Lamberti recorded her 1,000th career kill and 1,000th career assist and earned all-tournament honors at four events. Her Rockets team tied its program record of 34 wins, first set in 2017 and advanced to the Class 3A regional finals before falling to Washington. 

Hear more from Lamberti about this past season and her career in our interview with her below. Some responses have been minimally edited for clarity.

What have you been able to reflect on in the days since the season has ended? 

“After the end of the season, my team, and I obviously did not think that that's how our season would have ended. Me personally, I knew right after that game that I was more motivated for club and more motivated for next season to get back in it and really show what we can achieve. That loss won't break or tear us down, but it will build us up more as a team and I'm really excited. Next year is my last year and I just want to make the best of it, no matter what happens. And that goes along with leading my team to wherever it takes us.”

What inspired your love for volleyball?

“So I went to a private school down in the south end of Peoria and I would say my mom has coached me ever since I was little. I was running a 5-1 in fifth grade with her eighth grade teen and every single off day, she would just take me into Christ Lutheran School’s gym and we would work and work and work and I just fell in love. Whenever I'd be mad, upset, sad, happy, I would still always go play volleyball so I kind of think of volleyball as my escape point, I'd say. Just playing brings me a lot of joy. My mom has definitely built that up by just coaching me throughout the years and just starting in the tiny gym and then making it all the way out here, I think it's just incredible.”

What’s a motto or mindset you take when you’re competing?

“Mine is everyone has a day where they don’t want to go work out or get some reps in, or anything like that. But mine is always there's always someone out there in the world that is bigger and getting better right at this moment so that really does motivate me to get up and get active and do what I need to do.”

Where is your favorite place to play at?

“Obviously, last year I loved playing in Redbird Arena. Just that whole experience was amazing. I love a good home game. Our student section and our fans always show out at Limestone. And then one that I'm very excited for is to play in Huff Hall at the University of Illinois, I'm so excited to start that journey pretty soon.”

What led you to pick Illinois for your college destination?

“I've been going to their camp since I was going into eighth grade and Me and Coach [Chris] Tamas have always had a bond. He's always given me setting corrections because he was a setter, so he knows exactly what I need to work on and what I need to fix. And I would just go year after year and created more of a bond, fell in love with the gym, and I fell in love with the coaching staff and the players are the sweetest players ever. I went on June 14th, and I was like, ‘If I get an offer here, I really want to go here,’ and then the next day, I got that offer and I took it right away.”

Aside from winning, what was your favorite memory of the season? 

“Aside from winning, I would definitely just say I love traveling with the girls. Every single person on my team are the sweetest people ever and just spending time with them, staying in hotel rooms with them, they're just such a joy to be around and they make practice so fun. Just being able to spend every single day with them, it's just been such a good thing for me. After all that ended, I only see them a little bit at school so it’s changed really differently. So I think being able to spend every single practice and every single game with them, win or loss, was such an amazing experience for me.”