LAGUNA NIGUEL, Calif. – Cal Lutheran women's volleyball has been picked to finish third in the 2026 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) preseason coaches poll, earning 61 points and one first-place vote.

The Regals sit behind Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, which received 73 points and four first-place votes, and defending national runner-up La Verne, which collected 68 points and four first-place votes. Whittier follows Cal Lutheran in fourth with 54 points, while Redlands (53), Pomona-Pitzer (38), Chapman (30), Occidental (17) and Caltech (10) round out the poll.

Cal Lutheran's third-place selection marks a strong preseason outlook for a team coming off an 18-7 overall record and an 11-5 mark in SCIAC play in 2025. The Regals returned to the SCIAC Tournament for the first time since 2022, earning the No. 4 seed and hosting the tournament's opening-round matchup against the No. 5 seed Redlands.

The Regals return a wealth of experience from last year's squad, including SCIAC Defensive Player of the Year and AVCA All-Region selection Keegan Corley. First Team All-SCIAC outside hitter Kaylee Clayton also returns, along with standout middle blockers Tarin Rueckert and Aby Tibesar and outside hitter Kennedy Smith.

With much of last season's core returning, Cal Lutheran also welcomes a talented incoming class of seven as the Regals look to build on their return to the conference tournament and make another push toward the top of the SCIAC standings.

The preseason poll features two of the conference's perennial national contenders at the top. La Verne finished the 2025 season ranked No. 2 in the final American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) poll, while CMS received votes. ULV will enter 2026 without AVCA Division III Player of the Year Mya Ray, who helped lead the Leopards to their national runner-up finish a season ago.

Cal Lutheran will begin its 2026 campaign with an exhibition matchup against Hope International on Wednesday, August 26, at Gilbert Arena. The Regals then officially open the season at the Pacific Coast Classic, hosted by Pomona-Pitzer, CMS, and La Verne, on September 4-5.