The Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) has announced the results of its volleyball preseason coaches’ poll on Wednesday morning with 2025 HCAC Co-Regular Season Champion and Tournament runner-up Transylvania selected to return to the top of the league. The Pioneers earned 78 points in the poll and six of a possible 10 first place votes.
2026 Team-by-Team Capsules
Transylvania Pioneers (Lexington, Ky.)
Predicted 2026 HCAC Finish = First place with 78 poll points and six first place votes.
Head Coach = Amy Barmore
2025 Results = 24-7 Overall, 8-1 HCAC (Co-Regular Season Champion, No. 2 Tournament Seed)
Players to Watch in 2026 =
- Addie Atcher, Senior Outside Hitter, Elizabethtown, Ky.
- Julia Brown, Junior Defensive Specialist/Libero, Bardstown, Ky.)
- Peyton Mast, Senior Right Side, Park Hills, Ky.
- Cecelia Roberts, Senior Middle Blocker, Louisville, Ky.
Hanover College Panthers (Hanover, Ind.)
Predicted 2026 HCAC Finish = Second place with 71 poll points and two first place votes.
Head Coach = Peter Preocanin
2025 Results = 21-11 Overall, 6-3 HCAC (Tournament Champions, Tied for 3rd place, No. 4 Tournament Seed)
Returning HCAC All-Conference Players = 2
- (1st Team) Abbey McCoy, Senior Outside Hitter, Indianapolis, Ind.
- (2nd Team) Madison Schicker, Junior Libero, Fishers, Ind.
Other Players to Watch in 2026 =
- Megan Vogel, Senior Setter, North Vernon, Ind.
- Kinzee Dean, Sophomore Middle Hitter, Brownstown, Ind.
Earlham College Quakers (Richmond, Ind.)
Predicted 2026 HCAC Finish = Third place with 66 poll points and two first place votes.
Head Coach = Lauren Horton (2025 Coach of the Year)
2025 Results = 21-9 Overall, 8-1 HCAC (Co-Regular Season Champions, No. 1 Tournament Seed)
Returning HCAC All-Conference Players = 3
- (1st Team) Madison Bizjak, Senior, Defensive Specialist/Libero, San Diego, Calif. (2025 Co-Defensive Player of the Year)
- (1st Team) Caylee Brandes, Senior Outside Hitter, Moline, Ill.
- (1st Team) Addison Piatt, Junior Outside Hitter, Fort Myers, Fla.
Other Players to Watch in 2026 =
- Sadie Mae Calma, Freshman, Setter/Right Side, Hilo, Hawaii
- Emma Ledford, Sophomore Setter/Right Side, Franklin, N.C.
- Charish Minor, Junior Middle Hitter, Indianapolis, Ind.
Mount St. Joseph Lions (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Predicted 2026 HCAC Finish = Fourth place with 59 poll points.
Head Coach = John Spinney
2025 Results = 12-15 Overall, 6-3 HCAC (Tied for 3rd place, No. 3 Tournament Seed)
Returning HCAC All-Conference Players = 2
- (1st Team) Emma Sicking, Senior Outside Hitter, Fairfield, Ohio
- (1st Team) Aubrey Miranda, Junior Right Side, Medina, Ohio
Other Players to Watch in 2026 =
- Sydney Doty, Junior MIddle Hitter/Right Side, Mariemont, Ohio
- Ava Moore, Sophomore Setter, Bloomington, Ind.
- Lyndsey Stephenson, Junior Libero, Blue Ash, Ohio
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Fightin’ Engineers (Terre Haute, Ind.)
Predicted 2026 HCAC Finish = Fifth place with 48 poll points.
Head Coach = Rachel Delsi
2025 Results = 16-12 Overall, 4-5 HCAC (Tied for 6th place, No. 6 Tournament Seed)
Returning HCAC All-Conference Players = 3
- (2nd Team) Emma Blanton, Sophomore Outside Hitter, Arcadia, Ind.
- (2nd Team) Greta Carlson, Sophomore Outside Hitter, Austin, Texas
- (2nd Team) Keira Ohse, Junior Middle Hitter, Chicago, Ill.
Franklin College Grizzlies (Franklin, Ind.)
Predicted 2026 HCAC Finish = Sixth place with 39 poll points.
Head Coach = Dillon Taylor
2025 Results = 15-15 Overall, 4-5 HCAC (Tied for 6th place, No. 7 Tournament Seed)
Returning HCAC All-Conference Players = 2
- (2nd Team) Lauren Kinsey, Sophomore Middle Blocker, Goshen, Ind.
- (2nd Team) McKenzie Schroeder, Senior Opposite, Linden, Ind.
Other Players to Watch in 2026 =
- Mireily Colomba, Junior Middle Blocker, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Brionna Linkel, Senior Setter, Cross Plains, Ind.
- Kaitlyn Lowes, Sophomore Outside Hitter, Greenfield, Ind.
- Leah Middleton, Sophomore Outside Hitter, Pittsboro, Ind.
Manchester University Spartans (North Manchester, Ind.)
Predicted 2026 HCAC Finish = Seventh place with 37 poll points.
Head Coach = Ivan Matos
2025 Results = 14-14 Overall, 5-4 HCAC (5th place)
Returning HCAC All-Conference Players = 2
- (1st Team) Morgan Howard, Junior Setter, South Whitley, Ind.
- (2nd Team) Lily Lichtenbarger, Senior Middle Blocker, South Bend, Ind.
Other Players to Watch in 2026 =
- Kyana Martinez, Junior Opposite/Outside Hitter, Kendallville, Ind.
Bluffton University Beavers (Bluffton, Ohio)
Predicted 2026 HCAC Finish = Eighth place with 23 poll points.
Head Coach = Steve Yarnell
2025 Results = 13-20 Overall, 2-7 HCAC (Tied for 8th place, No. 8 Tournament Seed)
Returning HCAC All-Conference Players = 1
- (2nd Team) Emma Organ, Fifth-Year Libero, Lambertville, Mich.
Other Players to Watch in 2026 =
- Kasey Sager, Senior Middle Hitter, Troy, Ohio
- Ella Taylor, Senior Setter, Urbana, Ohio
Anderson University Ravens (Anderson, Ind.)
Predicted 2026 HCAC Finish = Ninth place with 18 poll points.
Head Coach = Hannah Marshall
2025 Results = 10-13 Overall, 2-7 HCAC, (Tied for 8th place)
Returning HCAC All-Conference Players = 2
- (2nd Team) Taylor Bock, Sophomore Middle Hitter, Columbia City, Ind.
- (2nd Team) Jayda Lanham, Junior Outside Hitter, Venice, Fla.
Players to Watch in 2026 =
- Lacy Rathbun, Junior Outside Hitter, Russiaville, Ind.
- Ellie Wilson, Junior Middle Hitter, Eaton, Ohio
- Blythe Young, Junior Setter, Avon, Ind.
Berea College Mountaineers (Berea, Ky.)
Predicted 2026 HCAC Finish = Tenth place with 11 poll points.
Head Coach = Karlis Dunens
2025 Results = 7-20 Overall, 0-9 HCAC (10th place)
Returning HCAC All-Conference Players = 1
- (2nd Team) Nashaliz Garcia, Junior Middle Blocker, Naguabo, Puerto Rico
Players to Watch in 2026 =
- Kiara Arzuaga, Sophomore Setter/Right Side, Caguas, Puerto Rico
- Sydney Makle-Bradley, Freshman Middle Blocker, Louisville, Ky.
- Alaya Scoggins, Sophomore Middle Blocker, Hawkins, Texas