CLEVELAND, Ga. – The Appalachian Athletic Conference women's volleyball preseason poll has been announced by the conference Tuesday morning. The poll is voted on by the 14 women's volleyball coaches around the AAC, which each coach also getting a first-place vote.
 
Truett McConnell was picked to finish 11^th out of 14 teams for the 2026 season with 66 total points. This is 25 points ahead of 12^th place Columbia and 13 points behind tenth place Milligan. The placement is also where the Lady Bears finished in the 2025 season, where they compiled a 5-14 conference record, one game short of the AAC tournament.
 
Columbia International is the overwhelming favorite to win the conference for the fifth straight season, grabbing 12 first place votes out of 14. Other teams receiving first place votes include third ranked Pikeville and fifth ranked Johnson.
 
The Rams finished atop the standings after the 2025 regular season with a 17-2 AAC record and took home the AAC tournament championship with three dominating wins. Johnson and Reinhardt also finished with 17-2 conference records, but head-to-head results slated them at second and third, respectively.
 
TMU begins the 2026 regular season on Friday, Aug. 21 with the Brewton-Parker Invitational. Conference play starts on Saturday, Sept. 12 at Columbia.
 
2026 AAC Women's Volleyball Preseason Poll:

1. Columbia International (12) – 193
2. Reinhardt – 172
3. Pikeville (1) – 161
4. Tennessee Wesleyan – 148
5. Johnson (1) – 146
6. Brenau – 117
7. Union Commonwealth – 104
8. Spartanburg Methodist – 95
9. Bluefield – 92
10. Milligan – 79
11. Truett McConnell – 66
12. Columbia – 41
13. Bryan – 33
14. Montreat - 23