RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The Southland Conference (SLC) announced the 2026 volleyball preseason poll on Friday and The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros were picked to finish second, receiving three first-place votes. 
 
Reigning SLC Tournament Champion Stephen F. Austin was picked to win the league with eight first-place votes. The Ladyjacks totaled 118 points and the Vaqueros were right behind with 113. SFA and UTRGV shared the 2025 regular season title and faced off in the tournament championship match. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi was picked to finish third and received one first-place vote. 
 
Rounding out the top five were Southeastern and Lamar. Eight teams make the SLC tournament, and the poll predicts that UIW, Houston Christian University, and East Texas A&M will join the field. 
 
McNeese, LSU New Orleans, Nicholls and Northwestern State were voted to finish in the bottom four spots in the conference. 
 
Each SLC school sent in one ballot with coaches and/or sports information directors ranking 11 teams. Coaches are not allowed to place their own team in their preseason poll submission. 
 
UTRGV opens the season Aug. 28 at West Virgina. The first conference game will be Sept. 23 at McNeese. The SLC Tournament is scheduled for Nov. 20-22 in Corpus Christi. Fans can purchase season tickets and multi-sport passes to watch UTRGV volleyball matches at UTRGVTickets.com. 
 
2026 Southland Conference Volleyball Preseason Poll 
1. Stephen F. Austin, 118 points (8 first-place votes)
2. UTRGV, 113 (3) 
3. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 89 (1) 
4. Southeastern, 88
5. Lamar, 87 
6. UIW, 86
7. Houston Christian University, 57
8. East Texas A&M, 49 
9. McNeese, 45 
10. LSU New Orleans, 28 
11. Nicholls, 17 
12. Northwestern State, 15 

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