OXFORD, Ohio - The Tigers of Campbellsville University are the preseason favorites for the second River States Conference men's volleyball championship, as the Tigers finished first in the 2026 RSC Preseason Coaches' Poll. The poll, announced Thursday by the River States Conference office, saw each of the conference's nine head coaches rank the other member schools in order of predicted finish.
The second year of River States Conference volleyball will consist of the same nine schools that battled for the first title in 2025. The league will consist of six RSC members - Brescia, IU East, Midway, Oakland City, Rio Grande, and St. Mary-of-the-Woods - as well as three affiliate members - Campbellsville University, Cumberland University, and Georgetown College.
The league was split almost down the middle in their pick for the top spot, with Campbellsville earning five first place votes and second place Georgetown taking the other four. The two sets of Tigers split their regular season meetings last season, with Georgetown winning a five-set thriller in the conference title game to earn the league's berth into the NAIA Men's Volleyball Championship last spring in Cedar Rapids.
The coaches were also split at third place, as Cumberland University and Oakland City University tied with 43 points each. Cumberland was the third-place team in the league last season, while Oakland City is projected to leap from sixth place to third in the league's second season.
St. Mary-of-the-Woods placed in the middle of the poll, checking in a fifth place. In the bottom half of the poll, the coaches placed Rio Grande sixth, Brescia seventh, IU East eighth, and Midway ninth.
Men's volleyball action will begin Thursday, January 22, with Midway, Rio Grande, and Georgetown all starting their schedules. Play will continue into April, with the 2025 River States Conference Tournament scheduled for April 14, 17, and 18. The conference tournament will be a six-team affair, with quarterfinal matches hosted by the third and fourth seeds and the semifinals and finals played on the home floor of the top seed.
2026 RSC PRESEASON MEN's VOLLEYBALL COACHES POLL
1. Campbellsville (61 points, 5 first place votes)
2. Georgetown (60 points, 4 first place vote)
t3. Cumberland (43 points)
t3. Oakland City (43 points)
5. St. Mary-of-the-Woods (38 points)
6. Rio Grande (25 points)
7. Brescia (24 points)
8. IU East (22 points)
9. Midway (8 points)