Statesmen at No. 15 to Begin 2026
Oskaloosa–The William Penn men’s volleyball team will start the new season as a contender nationally as the NAIA released its preseason top-15 poll Wednesday.
WPU, which was 16-11 last year (13-6 Heart), opens at No. 15 with 20 points.
Six Heart of America Athletic Conference programs are featured in the poll with No. 5 Missouri Valley leading the way. Missouri Baptist (No. 6), Park (No. 8), Grand View (No. 11), and Mount Mercy (No. 12) join the navy and gold in the top 15.
Defending national champion The Master’s (Calif.) heads the NAIA with 100 points and all six first-place votes. 2025 national runner-up Saint Xavier (Ill.) is second, while St. Thomas (Fla.) and Georgetown (Ky.), are third and fourth, respectively, to wrap up the top five.
WPU begins 2026 in Sylvania, Ohio on Friday and Saturday. On Friday, the Statesmen meet Lourdes at 5 p.m. (Central), while on Saturday, the squad takes on No. 12 Hope International (Calif.) at 11:30 a.m. (Central).
NAIA Men’s Volleyball Preseason Rating — January 21, 2026
(Number in parentheses is first-place votes)
1. The Master’s (Calif.) (6)
2. Saint Xavier (Ill.)
3. St. Thomas (Fla.)
4. Georgetown (Ky.)
5. Missouri Valley
6. Missouri Baptist
7. Lawrence Tech (Mich.)
8. Park (Mo.)
9. Campbellsville (Ky.)
10. Benedictine Mesa (Ariz.)
11. Grand View
12. Hope International (Calif.)
12. Mount Mercy
14. Westcliff (Calif.)
15. William Penn
Receiving Votes: Cornerstone (Mich.) 12, OUAZ (Ariz.) 11, Webber International (Fla.) 11, Governors State (Ill.) 9, Indiana Tech 8, Bethel (Ind.) 7, Lourdes (Ohio) 6, Reinhardt (Ga.) 6, Cumberland (Tenn.) 3.
