Volleyball On SI

ACC Volleyball Reveals 2026 Preseason Coaches Poll, All-ACC Team

Stanford leads the way after coming off its first ACC Volleyball Championship title in 2025.

Nicole Reitz

Stanford ranks No.1 in the ACC preseason coaches poll.
Stanford ranks No.1 in the ACC preseason coaches poll. / Stanford Volleyball

The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) has revealed its preseason 2026 coaches poll and All-ACC volleyball team. 

Stanford leads the way with 10 first-place votes and 280 total points after coming off its first ACC Volleyball Championship title in 2025 and putting up an overall record of 29-5. With the preseason favorite to win again in 2026, it marks the first time the Cardinal have topped the ACC preseason coaches poll since joining the conference in 2024. 

Stanford lands just three points ahead of Pitt, who gained seven first-place votes. The Panthers were Co-Champions of the ACC with Stanford after finishing with the exact same conference record of 18-2. The Panthers went on to reach a fifth straight national semifinal, becoming the first program to do so since Texas (2012-16). 

Meanwhile, Louisville sits in third place with 257 points after a 34th NCAA Tournament appearance, while SMU came in fourth with 245 points. SMU will represent the ACC at the Spikes Under the Lights showcase after appearing in three straight NCAA Tournaments. 

2026 Preseason ACC Volleyball Coaches Poll

(First-place votes appear in parentheses) 

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

As for the preseason All-ACC Team, Stanford leads again, with five student-athletes making the list. Jordyn Harvey makes her second appearance, while Lizzy Andrew, Julia Blyashov, Spencer Etzler, and Logan Parks are recognized for the first time in their careers. 

Louisville follows with four selections: Kalyssa Blackshear, Nayelis Cabello, Chloe Chicoine, and Payton Petersen. Blackshear is the reigning ACC Freshman of the Year, while Cabello and Chicoine earned First Team All-ACC last season. 

Pitt follows with three selections, North Carolina and SMU feature two players, and Florida State and Miami have one. 

2026 Preseason All-ACC Volleyball Team

  • Kyleene Filimaua, Florida State
  • Nayelis Cabello, Louisville
  • Kalyssa Blackshear, Louisville
  • Chloe Chicoine, Louisville
  • Payton Petersen, Louisville
  • Ariana Rodriguez, Miami
  • Safi Hampton, North Carolina
  • Chelsea Thorpe, North Carolina
  • Blaire Bayless, Pitt
  • Olivia Babcock, Pitt
  • Izzy Starck, Pitt
  • Favor Anyanwu,, SMU
  • Suli Davis, SMU
  • Lizzy Andrew, Stanford
  • Julia Blyashov, Stanford
  • Spencer Etzler, Stanford
  • Jordyn Harvey, Stanford
  • Logan Parks, Stanford

ACC regular-season play begins August 21, with Louisville facing Texas A&M, while ACC foes begin to meet at the end of September. 

Published |Modified
Nicole Reitz
NICOLE REITZ

Nicole Reitz graduated from Indiana University Indianapolis with a degree in sports journalism in 2022 and has been writing about softball and baseball since 2018. Her work has been published in various publications like Softball On SI, Softball America, the Indianapolis Star, and SoxOn35th.

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