Vassar College tops the 2026 United Volleyball Conference Preseason Coaches Poll, released on Tuesday, Jan. 6. The poll was voted on by all eight UVC head coaches.
Vassar, who advanced to the NCAA Championship match in 2024, earned a league-high 44 points in the preseason poll and received three of the eight first-place votes. Vassar, who advanced to the NCAA Championship match in 2024, enjoyed another strong season in 2025, finishing 22-7, while advancing to the UVC Semifinals and earning an at-large berth into the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament. Vassar is looking to earn its third UVC title in the last six seasons in 2026.
SUNY New Paltz and two-time defending UVC Champion NYU are tied for second in the poll with 41 points apiece. New Paltz garnered three first place votes, while NYU earned a pair of first place votes.
New Paltz, the 2017 and 2019 NCAA Division III National Champion, won 14 matches in 2025 and advanced to the UVC Semifinals. The Hawks return 14 players from last season, including 2025 AVCA Division III Newcomer of the Year Nikko Tenedorio.
The Violets of NYU enjoyed an incredible 2025 season, starting the season on a 26-match winning streak, while earning their second straight UVC Championship. The Violets, who won 36-of-37 matches over a two-season stretch, advanced to the 2025 NCAA Division III Quarterfinals after making a run to the 2024 Division III National Semifinal. UVC Player of the Year and 2025 First Team AVCA All-American Devyn Nguyen returns to lead the way for the Violets in 2026.
St. John Fisher, 2022 UVC Champions, 2023 UVC runners-up and two-time NCAA Division III Tournament participant, is projected to finish fourth in the UVC Preseason poll with 29 points. The Cardinals won 24 matches in 2025 and were ranked as high as 11th in Division III.
Hobart College is picked to finish fifth in the UVC Preseason Poll with 25 points. The Statesmen won 20 matches last season and advancing to the UVC Tournament for their second straight season as a Division III program. Hobart was nationally ranked as high as ninth in 2025. MIT is selected to finish sixth in the UVC preseason poll with 20 points after winning 16 contests last season.
Nazareth University, who won 19 matches and advanced to the UVC Championship match in 2025, is selected to finish seventh in the 2026 UVC Preseason Poll, as first-year head coach Eben Meyer takes over for Cal Wickens, who retired following the 2025 season. Elmira, who won 17 contests in 2025, is picked to finish eighth in the 2026 UVC Preseason Poll under first-year head coach Eddie Dauoreang, who previously served as an assistant coach for the St. John Fisher women’s volleyball program, helping lead them to 2024 and 2025 Empire 8 Championships and a 30-2 overall record in 2025.
Six of the eight UVC programs ended the 2025 season ranked in the NVA/AVCA Division III Men’s Volleyball national poll.
Regular season play begins on Jan. 10-11 and league play begins on Feb. 13. The six-team 2026 UVC Championship will take place from April 10-12 at the site of the regular season champion and top-seed.
2026 UVC Preseason Poll Results – Points (First Place Votes)
1. Vassar – 44 points (3 first place votes)
T2. SUNY New Paltz – 41 points (3 first place votes)
T2. NYU – 41 points (2 first place votes)
4. St. John Fisher – 29 points
5. Hobart – 25 points
6. MIT – 20 points
7. Nazareth – 16 points
8. Elmira – 7 points
ABOUT THE UNITED VOLLEYBALL CONFERENCE
The members of the United Volleyball Conference are committed first and foremost to the pursuit of academic excellence, and the league is regarded as an outstanding NCAA Division III conference. The membership has distinguished itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. For more on the UVC visit
www.theuvc.org