SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Shippensburg University volleyball team was voted atop the 2026 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division Preseason Coaches' Poll released Thursday afternoon by the conference office.
 
The preseason coaches' poll is selected by the league's coaches. The conference does not allow coaches to vote for their own team in the preseason polls.
 
Shippensburg received five of the seven possible first-place votes it could have received. It is the second time in the last three years that the league's coaches have voted the Raiders atop the preseason poll.
 
Shepherd sits second; the Rams received two first-place votes. East Stroudsburg, the reigning conference champions, were voted third.
 
Kutztown, West Chester, Lock Haven, Bloomsburg and Millersville round out the Eastern Division preseason coaches' poll.
 
Shippensburg is under the direction of Leanne Piscotty, who enters her 23rd season at Shippensburg in 2026 having compiled a 463-271 career record.
 
SU enters the season with a 19-person roster that includes 13 returners and six first-year recruits. Among the integral returning players is senior libero Shay Kolivoski, the two-time reigning PSAC Eastern Division Defensive Athlete of the Year and 2025 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division II All-America Honorable Mention selection.
 
Shippensburg's first match of the 2026 season is Thursday, August 27 at Clarion. The Raiders will face the Golden Eagles at 6 p.m. to kick off the annual Tony Banner Memorial Tournament.
 
Note: Every PSAC Eastern Division school will face Lackawanna twice this season as a part of its league schedule. The Falcons received an invitation to join the PSAC last year, contingent upon successfully completing the process of becoming an NCAA Division II member school. These matches will not count toward a team's overall NCAA record. More information on this process is available HERE.
 
2026 PSAC Preseason Volleyball Polls
(First-place votes are indicated in parentheses; teams are not allowed to vote for themselves)
 
Eastern Division
1. Shippensburg (5)
2. Shepherd (2)
3. East Stroudsburg (1)
4. Kutztown
5. West Chester
6. Lock Haven
7. Bloomsburg
8. Millersville
 
Western Division
1. Gannon (7)
2. IUP (1)
3. Pitt-Johnstown
4. Clarion
5. California
6. Seton Hill
7. Edinboro
8. Slippery Rock