Women's Volleyball 8/12/2026 5:00:00 PM Clayton Messerle, Assistant Athletic Director

Warriors Open 2026 Campaign Ranked Top Five in Preseason NAIA Women’s Volleyball Top 25 Poll

CORVALLIS, Ore. – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) released its 2026 Women's Volleyball Preseason Coaches' Top 25 Poll earlier today, and the Corban University women's volleyball program will begin the season exactly where it finished last year among the nation's elite, checking in at No. 5 in the country.

To view the complete NAIA Women's Volleyball Preseason Coaches' Poll, click HERE.

"Our program takes great pride in being recognized among the top teams in the nation," shared McLain. "The standard within this program continues to grow because of the commitment of our student-athletes. While we're thankful for the recognition, we also understand that preseason rankings are earned from the work done in previous years. Our focus remains on continuing to improve every day, glorifying God, and competing for championships when the season begins."

The Warriors enter the 2026 campaign following another historic season under head coach Kim McLain, finishing 27-6 overall and advancing to the NAIA National Championship Quarterfinals for the third time in program history. Corban earned runner-up finishes in both the Cascade Collegiate Conference regular season and tournament championships before making another deep postseason run on the national stage.

The Navy and Gold spent the majority of the 2025 campaign entrenched among the NAIA's top programs, ultimately concluding the season with a No. 5 national ranking after advancing through the NAIA National Championship Opening Round and Final Site competition in Sioux City, Iowa. Their postseason journey came to an end in the national quarterfinals against eventual national champion Indiana Wesleyan University, capping one of the most successful seasons in recent program history.

Corban's national prominence has become a staple of the program over the past decade. The Warriors have now qualified for the NAIA National Tournament in ten consecutive seasons, advanced to multiple national semifinal appearances, earned a national runner-up finish, and consistently positioned themselves among the nation's top-ranked programs. Corban represents the only CCC program to reach the national championship match in well over a decade. The 2025 campaign added yet another chapter to that legacy, as the Warriors reached the NAIA National Quarterfinals while finishing the year ranked fifth nationally.

The 2026 preseason poll is headed by Northwestern College (Iowa), followed by Eastern Oregon University, Concordia University (Neb.), and defending national champion Indiana Wesleyan University. Corban rounded out the top five and is one of six Cascade Conference institutions represented in the preseason rankings.

2026 Preseason NAIA Women's Volleyball Top 25 Poll

Rank Institution 2025 Overall Record

1. Northwestern (Iowa) 33-4

2 Eastern Oregon 32-3

3. Concordia (Neb.) 28-4

4. Indiana Wesleyan 33-4

5. Corban (Ore.) 27-6

6. Providence (Mont.) 34-3

7. McPherson (Kan.) 34-3

8. Bellevue (Neb.) 29-5

9. Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio) 27-9

10. Cumberlands (Ky.) 36-1

11. Missouri Baptist 31-6

12. Oklahoma Wesleyan 26-5

13. IU Kokomo (Ind.) 32-6

14. St. Thomas (Fla.) 27-5

15. The Master's (Calif.) 24-5

16. Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) 20-12

17. Aquinas (Mich.) 33-7

18. College of Idaho 21-10

19. Bushnell (Ore.) 22-13

20. Midland (Neb.) 19-12

21. Cornerstone (Mich.) 27-9

22. Southern Oregon 16-12

23. Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) 18-9

24. Mobile (Ala.) 30-5

25. Viterbo (Wis.) 27-7

The first regular season NAIA Women's Volleyball Coaches Polls will be released on Wednesday, September 2nd.

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