CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – Stanford was voted the preseason favorite to win the 2026 Atlantic Coast Conference Volleyball title, marking the first time the Cardinal have topped the ACC preseason coaches poll since joining the conference, the league announced Thursday.
The poll and Preseason All-ACC Team are voted on by the league’s 18 head coaches.
Stanford received 10 first-place votes and 280 total points after winning its first ACC Volleyball Championship title last year, closing out the 2025 season with an 18-2 ACC record and 29-5 overall record. The Cardinal opened the 2025 NCAA Volleyball Tournament as the No. 6 overall seed before falling in the regional semifinal round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2009. Stanford finished just three points ahead of Pitt, who received seven first-place votes, while Louisville received one first-place vote and 257 points to round out the top three.
The Panthers closed out the 2025 season as ACC Volleyball Co-Champions with Stanford after finishing with an identical 18-2 conference record and a 30-4 overall record. The Panthers reached their fifth straight national semifinal, becoming the first program to reach five consecutive national semifinals since Texas accomplished the feat from 2012–16.
Louisville (26-7, 16-4) entered the 2025 postseason as the No. 2 overall seed in its 34th NCAA Tournament appearance before falling in its 11th-ever regional semifinal.
SMU came in fourth with 245 points, followed by North Carolina (225) in fifth. Georgia Tech earned 198 points and was picked sixth, while Miami (193), Florida State (180), NC State (148) and Wake Forest (131) rounded out the top 10 in the poll. The Demon Deacons were followed by Virginia (119), Notre Dame (104), California (93), Clemson (89), Boston College (87), Duke (70), Syracuse (37) and Virginia Tech (21).
The Cardinal led all schools with five student-athletes on the Preseason All-ACC Team, followed by Louisville with four and Pitt with three. North Carolina and SMU had two student-athletes named to the team while Florida State and Miami each had one selection.
2026 Preseason ACC Volleyball Coaches Poll
Rank Team – Points
1. Stanford (10) – 280
2. Pitt (7) – 277
3. Louisville (1) – 257
4. SMU – 245
5. North Carolina – 225
6. Georgia Tech – 198
7. Miami – 193
8. Florida State – 180
9. NC State – 148
10. Wake Forest – 131
11. Virginia – 119
12. Notre Dame – 104
13. California – 93
14. Clemson – 89
15. Boston College – 87
16. Duke – 70
17. Syracuse – 37
18. Virginia Tech – 21
First-place votes in parentheses.
2026 Preseason All-ACC Volleyball Team
Kyleene Filimaua, Sr., OH, Florida State
Nayelis Cabello, Jr., S, Louisville
Kalyssa Blackshear, So., OPP, Louisville
Chloe Chicoine, Sr., OH, Louisville
Payton Petersen, So., OH, Louisville
Ariana Rodriguez, R-Jr., S, Miami
Safi Hampton, Sr., OH, North Carolina
Chelsea Thorpe, Gr., OH/OPP, North Carolina
Blaire Bayless, Sr., OH, Pitt
Olivia Babcock, Sr., OPP, Pitt
Izzy Starck, Jr., S, Pitt
Favor Anyanwu, So., MB, SMU
Suli Davis, So., OH, SMU
Lizzy Andrew, Jr., MB, Stanford
Julia Blyashov, Sr., OH, Stanford
Spencer Etzler, So., L, Stanford
Jordyn Harvey, Sr., OPP, Stanford
Logan Parks, So., OPP/S, Stanford