OWINGS MILLS, MD. – The Stevenson University women's volleyball team was selected first in the 2026 Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Commonwealth Preseason Poll, as announced by the conference Friday morning.

Stevenson claimed the top spot in the poll with 59 points and four first-place votes, narrowly edging Eastern, which finished second with 57 points and three first-place votes. Messiah placed third with 55 points and two first-place votes, followed by Widener with 39 points and York with 32 points. Newcomers to the conference, Neumann was sixth with 30 points, Hood placed seventh with 27 points, Alvernia was eighth with 14 points, and Albright completed the poll with 11 points.

The Mustangs enter the 2026 season as the defending MAC Commonwealth champions after finishing 6-1 in conference play and 18-14 overall in 2025. Eastern finished second at 6-1 in conference play with a 23-8 overall record, while Messiah placed third at 5-2. Hood and Widener tied for fourth at 4-3, while York, Albright and Alvernia rounded out the conference standings.

With just four points separating the top three teams in the preseason poll and all three receiving multiple first-place votes, the MAC Commonwealth is expected to deliver another highly competitive season in 2026. The Mustangs will look to build on last season's conference-leading finish and defend their position atop the league under head coach Emma Lorenzen.