SAN BRUNO, Calif. – Defending West Coast Conference champion San Diego earned the top spot in the annual West Coast Conference Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll as announced on Wednesday. The Toreros garnered nine of the 10 first-place votes.
The preseason poll and the all-conference team were selected solely by a vote of the conference’s 10 head coaches. Coaches cannot vote for their own teams and student-athletes.
Following USD's nine first-place votes and 81 points, Pepperdine came in second with 72 points and earned the other first-place vote. LMU was next in third with 59 points, while Santa Clara edged Saint Mary's for fourth place as the Broncos boasted 55 points to the 54 earned by the Gaels.
On the preseason team, San Diego registered four student-athletes on the 16-player squad, while Pepperdine, LMU and Santa Clara heard their name called three times. Portland notched two on the preseason squad while the Gaels featured one.
Among the preseason team honorees are the 2025 West Coast Conference Player of the Year Nemo Beach from San Diego and the 2025 West Coast Conference Setter of the Year Kylie Munday, also from the Toreros. Nine preseason team honorees picked up all-conference first-team honors last season - Beach, Munday, Macy Hinshaw (Santa Clara), Havannah Hoeft (Portland), Ella Piskorz (Pepperdine), Chloe Pravednikov (Pepperdine), Tristen Raymond (Pepperdine), Maui Robins (Portland) and Cate Shanahan (Santa Clara).
Beach, Munday, Piskorz and Robins also secured West Coast Conference preseason team honors last year. This is the third year in a row that Beach and Robins earned all-conference preseason team accolades.
Fans can catch all West Coast Conference home matches this season on ESPN+. In addition, the San Diego at Pepperdine match can be seen on ESPNU on Thursday, Nov. 12, at 7 p.m.
2026 West Coast Conference Volleyball Preseason Poll
| Place |
Team |
First Place |
Points |
| 1. |
San Diego |
9 |
81 |
| 2. |
Pepperdine |
1 |
72 |
| 3. |
LMU |
|
59 |
| 4. |
Santa Clara |
|
55 |
| 5. |
Saint Mary's |
|
54 |
| 6. |
Denver |
|
44 |
| 7. |
San Francisco |
|
29 |
| 8. |
Portland |
|
28 |
| T-9. |
Pacific |
|
14 |
| T-9. |
Seattle U |
|
14 |
| 2026 Volleyball Preseason Team |
| Name |
Institution |
Yr. |
Pos. |
| Kierstyn Barton |
San Diego |
Sr. |
OH |
| Nemo Beach |
San Diego |
Sr. |
OH |
| Macy Hinshaw |
Santa Clara |
Jr. |
S |
| Havannah Hoeft |
Portland |
Sr. |
S |
| Antonie Kelnarova |
Saint Mary's |
Jr. |
OH |
| Kylie Munday |
San Diego |
Jr. |
S |
| Ella Piskorz |
Pepperdine |
Jr. |
MB |
| Chloe Pravednikov |
Pepperdine |
Jr. |
OH |
| Tristen Raymond |
Pepperdine |
So. |
S |
| Maui Robins |
Portland |
Gr. |
OH |
| Anya Santrac |
LMU |
So. |
OH |
| Cate Shanahan |
Santa Clara |
Jr. |
OH |
| BayLea Sparks |
San Diego |
Sr. |
MB |
| Aleksandra Stojanovic |
LMU |
Jr. |
MB |
| Maria Tabacuks |
LMU |
So. |
OH |
| Lexi Trapani |
Santa Clara |
Sr. |
DS |