After completing a thrilling comeback in the 2025 SCIAC Championship to earn its 12th consecutive NCAA Tournament bid, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps has been selected to top the conference in the 2026 SCIAC Women's Volleyball Preseason Poll, as voted by the league's head coaches.
The Athenas are set to return much of its roster from the previous season, including Second Team All-SICAC duo Stella Gajar and Solvej Eversoll. The pair ranked third and fourth in total blocks in the SCIAC, respectively. In the SCIAC Championship match, Gajar put down back-to-back kills in the fifth set to clinch the reverse sweep over La Verne. CMS will also bring back key starters in Shae Delany, Phoebe Shorney, Hayden Lin, Samantha Riter, and Mia Urosevic.
Tabbed to finish in second place, the 2025 Division III National Runner-Up Leopards will be led by first-year Head Coach Dr. Randi Taylor-Toomay. Taylor-Toomay has been on the La Verne coaching staff since 2019 and was a former All-American for the program herself. Despite graduating four-time All-American Mya Ray, the Leopards will still have plenty of last season's talent on the court this year, highlighted by the First Team All-SCIAC pair of Zacky Coaston and Lauren Gott. Coaston led the conference last season in total blocks with 157, while Gott was fifth in kills with 319.
California Lutheran rounded out the first-place voting with one vote. The Regals are seeking their first NCAA Tournament berth since 2018 and will look to do so behind reigning SCIAC Defensive Athlete of the Year Keegan Corley. The rising senior racked up 556 digs last season and helped limit opponents to a .138 hitting percentage. Additionally, Cal Lu will return its top-five hitters from 2025, including Kaylee Clayton, Kennedy Smith, Tarin Rueckert, Emily Ford, and Madeline Magnani. All five players collected over 100 kills the previous year, and Clayton was a First Team All-SCIAC member for her efforts.
Notably, the 2026 season will feature Azusa Pacific University as they reclassify from Division II to Division III. The Cougars are set to play 16 conference matches, although they will not count towards conference standings.
2026 SCIAC Volleyball Preseason Poll
1. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, 73 points (four first-place votes)
2. La Verne, 68 pts (4)
3. California Lutheran, 61 pts (1)
4. Whittier, 54 pts
5. Redlands, 53 pts
6. Pomona-Pitzer, 38 pts
7. Chapman, 30 pts
8. Occidental, 17 pts
9. Caltech, 10 pts
Azusa Pacific*
* - Ineligible for SCIAC Championship as school transitions from Division II