WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The Palm Beach Atlantic volleyball team has been selected third in the 2026 Sunshine State Conference (SSC) Preseason Coaches' Poll.

The Sailfish received 31 points in the voting, sitting between Barry (19) and Lynn (39). The defending champions and NCAA semi-finalist, Tampa, was determined the preseason favorite with 11 points, and nine first-place votes. Rounding out the top five is Nova Southeastern with 47 points. The Sailfish also received votes (20) in the AVCA-Taraflex DII WVB Preseason Poll. There, they sit behind conference opponents #2 Tampa, #6 Barry, and #18 Lynn.

PBA looks to outperform the preseason rankings once again. Last season, the Sailfish finished third in the SSC and were selected for the 2025 NCAA DII Volleyball tournament.

Kelsey Rogers, who ranked second on the team for kills and first for blocks, returns for the Sailfish alongside Rachel Smith, who ranked fourth in blocks, and Sydney Corbett, who ranked third in digs and fifth in assists. Sofia Augusto will return as the libero this season.

The first time the Sailfish see the top-ranked conference opponents will be September 24^th when they travel to Miami Shores to play Barry. They will host Tampa on October 3^rd. You can catch the start of the Sailfish season on August 28^th as they face UNC Pembroke in the Shark Invitational.
 

Rank	Team	Points
1	Tampa	11 (9)
2	Barry	19 (2)
3	Palm Beach Atlantic	31
4	Lynn	39
5	Nova Southeastern	47
6	Eckerd	56
7	Florida Tech	57
8	Embry-Riddle	73
9	Florida Southern	83
10	Rollins	89
11	Saint Leo	100

Points are based on coaches' preseason rankings, with first-place votes noted in parentheses. Coaches are not permitted to vote for their own institution.