Last year, putting together my pre-season top was a daunting task thanks to the off-season coaching changes and sheer number of high-impact transfers. While this off-season still had its fair share of portal bombshells and staff changes, somehow my top ten came together much more easily than last year. This may mean that I’m going to be wildly off, but I think it’s more likely that there’s a pretty clear list of front-runners, all of whom could find themselves in contention for a title if things go according to plan.
So with that said, here’s my top 10 ranking.
10. Texas A&M
After winning the program’s first-ever national championship, Texas A&M said goodbye to all but one of its starters. Jamie Morrison’s done a nice job replenishing the team via the transfer portal and the 2026 freshman class, but there are a lot of unknowns about how this Aggie team will look. Truthfully, I was quite close to excluding Texas A&M from my top 10 simply because of how unproven most of the team is. At the same time, however, Morrison has proven himself to be an excellent coach who knows to win. Plus, if Kyndal Stowers can continue to build on what she demonstrated last year (including being named Most Outstanding Player of the championship), this team is in good hands.
Biggest strengths:
- On paper, Stowers and transfer Natalie Ring make one of the best outside hitting duos in the country.
- With Stowers and returning libero/DS Addi Applegate, passing shouldn’t be an issue.
Potential hurdles:
- It’s impossible to imagine there won’t be at least some significant downgrades from the talent on display last year. Taryn Morris looks promising, but can she do what Logan Lednicky did? How will the setting look now that Maddie Waak isn’t dishing out lightning-quick sets? Don’t even get me started on trying to replace what Ifenna Cos-Okpalla brought to the table.
9. SMU
Since the hiring of Sam Erger and their inclusion in the ACC, SMU has fully established itself as a powerhouse program. Last season, the Mustangs swept Texas A&M early in the season before taking down top ACC squads like Louisville and Stanford. Ahead of 2026, the team has once again leaned into its tradition of sourcing replacements for its best departing talent in the transfer portal, and they’ve struck gold once again. Gabi Placide, who scored over five points per set in the SEC, should be a formidable outlet on the right side, and Victoria Harris is a massively underrated libero who will do wonders in the back court. But the real star acquisition is Suli Davis, who broke freshman records at BYU and has already established herself as one of the country’s best hitters. There are some question marks remaining—like, with Jadyn Livings potentially still injured, who will join Davis as the other outside—but the Ponies should once again have themselves a nice season.
Biggest strengths:
- Suli Davis on one pin and Gabi Placide has the potential to be a lethal offensive combination.
- Favor Anyanwu and Natalia Newsome make for one of the top-hitting middle duos in the country, and Anyanwu specifically is a high-level blocker.
Potential hurdles:
- It’s unclear at this time how Jadyn Livings’ injury will or won’t prevent her from playing much/at all.
- Gabi Placide can score points all day long, but her efficiency wasn’t the best last season. Having SMU’s talent around her should help, but it’s hard to imagine she’ll replicate Malaya Jones’ outstanding work last season.
- Setting. Averi Carlson ran one hell of an offense last year. Hannah Beauford was highly ranked coming into the program and already has a redshirt year of training with the team under her belt, but how that translates into success remains to be seen.
8. Louisville
Louisville’s season could have looked a whole lot different last year if only they’d won a few of those five-set gauntlets they frequently found themselves in. Now, the Cardinals return almost everyone from the starting lineup. If they can be just a bit more disciplined in the big moments, this is a team that should see a good deal of success this season. That starts with the setting; when Nayelis Cabello is at her best, she’s an elite setter, but there were moments last season where her command of the offense and decision-making seemed to falter.
Biggest strengths:
- Passing—you can’t ask for a better passing duo than Chloe Chicoine and Payton Petersen.
- Blocking (duh, it’s Louisville)
Potential hurdles:
- Efficiency in the middle—Hannah Sherman is a great blocker, but she hit under .300 last season.
- Setting consistency
- Getting over the fifth set curse (they sort of did this when they beat Marquette in five, but then they were reverse swept by Texas A&M, so I’d say that cancels things out)
7. Stanford
Stanford is another team that returns the majority of its starters from last season, although the one starter not returning will certainly make for a glaring absence. Elia Rubin was the team’s clear leader last season, especially given the youth of the rest of the team. Now that she’s graduated, someone else is going to have to step up in that role. Aside from that, Stanford looks poised to have another good season. Outside hitter Julia Blyashov’s offense really came alive during the 2025 season, and she also brings excellent ball control to the table. Along with her, the middle duo of Lizzy Andrew and Erika Sayer provides this team with a strong core.
Biggest strengths:
- Reception: Blyashov and Spencer Etzler put up some truly eyewatering passing numbers last year.
- Service pressure: in my preseason ranking last year, I highlighted serving as a potential hurdle for Stanford––not because they don’t apply pressure, but because of the sheer number of service errors the team made. While last year’s Cardinal squad still made their fair share of errors from the line, it’s undeniable that tough serving was a huge part of their success (see: Rubin almost single-handedly winning the match vs. Pitt by staving off several set/match points with her serve). While Rubin has graduated, there are several returning players (Blyashov, Logan Parks, and Jordyn Harvey, for example) with tough serves that can take the team on scoring runs.
Potential hurdles:
- As mentioned, leadership is a question in the face of Rubin’s departure.
- While I believe Blyashov is up to the task, if she is unable to be the team’s go-to scorer, it’s unclear who will be that player.
6. Arizona State
JJ Van Niel has completely turned around a previously struggling program, propelling the Sun Devils all the way to the Sweet Sixteen twice already in his three years with the team. Now, the challenge is to see if this team can make it past the regional semifinals for the first time ever. Considering they have the outstanding Noemie Glover, whose sky-high hitting efficiency and strong blocking earned her a spot as a First Team All-American last season, as well as key incoming pins like Una Vajagic and Aniya Clinton, this may well be their season to do so. The biggest question I have for this team is around its player formation—specifically, are they going to bring back the questionable, though effective, 6-2? They have three setters on the roster, so my assumption would be yes.
Biggest strengths:
- Noemie Glover is one of the best hitters in the country.
- With Una Vajagic and Faith Frame, passing should be in good shape.
Potential hurdles:
- Setting. It’s not that either of the setters from last year wowed me, but now there are three new ones in the mix, which could lead to weird chemistry and connection issues.
- While they have some great talent brought in via the portal and their 2026 freshman class, it’s hard to imagine anyone fully replacing the contributions of Bailey Miller and Colby Neal.
5. Kentucky
At the beginning of the 2025 final, it looked like Kentucky might just cruise their way to the program’s second-ever national championship. Texas A&M woke up in the middle of the first set, however, and then it was the Aggies who steamrolled their way to the natty. There’s probably some lingering “what ifs” in the minds of key Kentucky players like Brooklyn DeLeye and Molly Tuozzo, and I bet that fire is going to make for yet another dangerous Wildcats team. Add to that equation Morgan Gaerte, who transferred over from Notre Dame after putting up over five points per set in the ACC last season, and you have a team that is going to once again be extremely terminal on the pins.
Biggest strengths:
- Pin production; DeLeye has never had an issue scoring points, regardless of whether or not she has someone else helping her. Thankfully, she has Gaerte helping her.
- Craig Skinner has proven himself as one of the best coaches in the country, and he can be trusted to put together a winning combination.
Potential hurdles:
- From what we’ve gleaned through the spring season, it looks like Gaerte will be transitioning over to the right side. I imagine she’s well up to the task, but a change in position is always something to watch.
- Passing. While DeLeye and Tuozzo are both serviceable here, Eva Hudson emerged as one of the best passing outsides in the NCAA last year. Not having her stability in the passing lineup could prove problematic.
4. Wisconsin
I started working on this list in May when all the spring portal dust was finally beginning to settle, and at that time I had Wisconsin a notch or two lower. About a month after that initial list, Decelise Champion reclassified into the 2026 class, and I immediately dug up my draft and shifted things around. With one of the most exciting young players in the world as an offensive outlet, a proven defensive player like Anna Bardaro shoring things up in the backrow, and Charlie Fuerbringer running the offense, this Wisconsin team is going to be dangerous. Plus, with freshmen newcomers Audrey Flanagan and Halle Thompson, as well as (a hopefully healthy) Grace Lopez as an option on the right side, the Badgers have an enviable amount of depth on their bench.
Biggest strengths:
- As already mentioned, Fuerbringer. She’s quick, consistent, and learning from Badger legend and Olympic silver medalist Lauren Carlini. As long as she continues on the trajectory she ended last season on, things will look good for the Badger offense.
- Production and depth at the pins
Potential hurdles:
- While Wisconsin’s freshman class is one of the best in the country, there’s a lot of youth and inexperience on this squad that may not translate to the NCAA right away.
- They won’t have Champion with the team for the first month of the season, as she’ll be playing with the Puerto Rican national team.
3. Texas
The Longhorns return almost their entire starting lineup and, with the arrival of the 2026 class, have added some core depth pieces at setter and on the pins. When I originally drafted this list, I’d spent nearly an entire paragraph talking about the lack of middle depth—at the time, there were only two listed middles on the roster. Not long after that, Camille Presley reclassified from the class of 2027, and then it was announced that Texas track athlete Mackenzie Collins would be joining the team as a dual athlete. While these two are unproven at the NCAA level (in volleyball), it certainly put to rest my concerns about the team’s depth at middle. Now, they have a full roster, the highlight of which is undoubtedly Torrey Stafford. Along with her, any combination of Cari Spears, Abby Vander Wal, and Henley Anderson will make an excellent trio of pins.
Biggest strengths:
- Pin production
- Service pressure. Stafford and Nya Bunton both have deceptively strong float serves, while newcomers Genevieve Harris and Henley Anderson both have jump serves in their arsenal.
Potential hurdles:
- Middle depth
- As always seems to be the case with Texas, passing. Stafford is solid in reception, but Vander Wal struggled during her passing rotations last year.
2. Pitt
Fresh off the program’s fifth consecutive loss in the national semifinals, Pitt should once again be playing like they have something to prove—and they certainly have the talent to find themselves in yet another Final Four. The team has several new additions, including transfer Izzy Starck at setter and promising freshman Ayanna Watson at outside. And, of course, Pitt has two-time National Player of the Year Olivia Babcock. In the unlikely event that everything else should fall apart for this squad, Babcock has proven that she can singlehandedly pull her team across the finish line, even if it means dropping 45 kills.
Biggest strengths:
- Olivia Babcock, Olivia Babcock, and did I mention Olivia Babcock?
- Izzy Starck might be a bit rusty after missing nearly an entire season, but her ceiling as a setter is extremely high.
- While she’s unproven in the NCAA, I’m very excited to see what Ayanna Watson can bring to the table.
Biggest hurdles:
- Passing. When things went wrong for the Panthers last year, it was often because of reception.
- If the team does find its way into yet another national semifinal, I can only imagine how high the stakes and pressure will feel.
1. Nebraska
Oh, Nebraska. Even as a fairly neutral fan, I still remember the sinking feeling in my stomach as I watched Logan Lednicky slice an undiggable ball at Bergen Reilly, making the score 15-13 in the fifth set and setting in motion what would become Texas A&M’s first-ever NCAA volleyball championship. After watching Nebraska claw their way back from being down two sets to none and emerging victorious in the fourth set gauntlet that ended 37-35, when the score was 14-13 in the fifth set, my brain simply was not wired to expect anything other than Nebraska pushing the tiebreaker to extra points. When that didn’t happen, it took me a moment to even process the possibility that Nebraska just lost.
Yes, it’s a new season, and yes, it’s time to move on. But the disappointing end to last year’s season isn’t an outlier for Nebraska. Despite being the favorites year after year, they have not managed to secure a national title since 2017. That doesn’t stop them from being the clear favorites yet again this upcoming season, but considering how things have gone lately and the fact that this could be the final season for Harper Murray, Bergen Reilly, Andi Jackson, and Laney Choboy, the pressure is on.
But let’s put the past in the past and look ahead. The Huskers have everything that a team should have to be successful and more. They have the aforementioned 2023 class, all of whom are some of the best at their position in the country, and those ladies have experienced some high highs and low lows together—all of which should lend itself to some serious on-court chemistry. Then there’s the depth that they have at virtually every position, including on the outside pin. Teraya Sigler is, in my opinion, the frontrunner for that second outside hitter spot alongside Murray, but Skyler Pierce is not to be counted out. Then, along with Jackson, middle blockers Manaia Ogbechie (who was outstanding when she got playing time last year) and Kenna Cogill both have the physicality to be extremely effective.
Biggest strengths:
- Like I said, depth. Every player on the bench has the potential to step in when a starter is struggling and show out.
- Relentless defense and diligent ball control
- Balanced offense
- The one-and-only Andi Jackson Slide™
Biggest hurdles:
- The sheer amount of pressure to live up to the hype and win that title.
