ETSU tabbed as preseason SoCon volleyball favorite

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – ETSU was picked as the favorite to win the 2026 Southern Conference volleyball title in preseason voting by the league’s 10 head coaches. The coaches also selected an eight-member preseason all-conference team.

Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams or players in the balloting.

ETSU, the defending regular season champion, received five first-place votes and 77 points, claiming the top spot in the preseason poll. Wofford, who will be going for its fourth straight SoCon tournament crown this season, collected four first-place votes and 72 points, finishing second in the poll. Furman secured 69 points and the final first place vote, taking third in the poll. UNCG came in fourth with 50 points. Chattanooga nabbed the fifth spot with 48 points. Samford finished with 46 points, grabbing the sixth spot, while conference newcomer Tennessee Tech got 29 points and the seventh spot in the poll. Western Carolina followed closely behind with 28 points. Mercer was ninth with 22 points. The Citadel rounded out the poll with nine points.

The ETSU Buccaneers are coming off a 23-7 overall record and a 15-1 mark in SoCon play in 2025. Bucs outside hitter Makayla Bays represents the squad on the preseason all-conference team. Bays, the 2025 SoCon Player of the Year, led the league in service aces (45) last season, while finishing second in kills (443).

The Wofford Terriers finished last season 17-14 overall and 10-6 in SoCon matches, concluding their season with their third straight NCAA Tournament appearance under the tutelage of head coach Lynze Roos. A trio of Terriers made the preseason all-conference team. The players are Laney Klika, the two-time reigning SoCon Libero of the Year, middle blocker Bradley Brown and outside hitter Chloe Smith. Klika was the only player in the SoCon to average over five digs per set in 2025. Brown and Smith, both of whom were all-conference and all-tournament team performers a season ago, both finished in the top 10 in the league in total kills.

Furman had a 21-9 overall mark and an 11-5 ledger in SoCon play in 2025. The Paladins are represented on the preseason team by middle blocker Tennyson Gorman. Gorman led the league in blocks (158), blocks per set (1.37) and hitting percentage (.364) last season.

UNCG went 17-12 overall and 9-7 in conference matches a season ago. Outside hitter Allie Sweet was selected to the preseason all-conference team. Sweet, who has been a first-team all-conference selection in each of the last two seasons, led the SoCon in kills (501) during her sophomore campaign in 2025.

Samford outside hitter Ally Cordes and Western Carolina setter Katie Boney rounded out the preseason all-conference team. Cordes was a second-team all-conference pick in 2025 after finishing fifth in the league in kills (370). Boney, the 2025 SoCon Setter of the Year, completed last season as the only conference player to have over 1,000 assists, finishing with 1,066.

The 2026 regular season begins on Friday, Aug. 28, with seven teams in action. Tennessee Tech and Wofford begin on the next day.

The SoCon Volleyball Championship will be on Nov. 19-22 at Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville in Asheville, North Carolina. The 2026 volleyball championship marks the second time in the conference’s history that the tournament will be hosted exclusively at a neutral location for all teams. The two first round matches between the No. 8 and No. 9 seed, and No. 7 and No. 10 seed will be played on Nov. 19, with the quarterfinals slated for Nov. 20. The semifinal matches will be held on Nov. 21, and the final is set to be played on Nov. 22.

2026 Southern Conference Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll

() denotes first-place votes
 
2026 Southern Conference Volleyball Preseason All-Conference Team
Makayla Bays, ETSU, OH

Tennyson Gorman, Furman, MB

Allie Sweet, UNCG, OH

Ally Cordes, Samford, OH

Katie Boney, Western Carolina, S

Bradley Brown, Wofford, MB

Laney Klika, Wofford, LIB

Chloe Smith, Wofford, OH