BOSTON, Mass. -- The Christopher Newport volleyball program led the way in the 2026 Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches Poll released on Wednesday afternoon as the Captains were picked as favorites to repeat as conference champs for the third consecutive season. 

After closing out the 2025 season with a 26-8 overall record and a third NCAA regional title game appearance in the last four years, the Captains were ranked No. 18 in the final AVCA poll of the year. Last year, CNU captured its second straight and ninth conference championship in 12 seasons since joining the conference in 2013. 

The Captains are a unanimous selection to capture the 2026 Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference Volleyball Championship, hauling in seven of the possible eight first-place votes. The poll, in which head coaches cannot vote for their own team, saw CNU haul in a maximum 49 points to lead the way while Salisbury earned the final first-place vote and was picked second with 43 points. Rounding out the top five in order was UC Santa Cruz (36 pts), Mary Washington (31 points), and Regent University (26 pts). The rest of the poll featured a tie for sixth between Johnson & Wales Charlotte and Warren Wilson with 14 points apiece while league newcomer, Alverno College, was picked eighth with 11 points. 

The Captains advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the 18th consecutive season in 2025 and danced all the way to the NCAA Regional Championship for the second year in a row. That run included a momentous 3-0 shutout against No. 8 Juniata, snapping the Eagles' 19-match NCAA Tournament winning streak. 

Returning to lead the way is sophomore setter Fielding Croft, who earned third team AVCA All-America plaudits after her first year. Croft was the AVCA Region Rookie of the Year, Conference Rookie of the Year, and first team All-Conference pick after moving up to 13th all-time at CNU in career assists with 1,076 in her first year. She led an offense that ranked 13th nationally in assists per set and 10th in hitting percentage. 

Also back in the fold this season are a pair of first team All-Conference picks in seniors Samantha Dorn and Maddie Hanes along with Conference All-Tournament selections Emmy Carpenedo and Simara Alexander. Alexander earned C2C Tournament MVP honors after lifting the Captains to a conference crown on the road. 

Christopher Newport will open the season on Tuesday, September 1 at home against Regent University at 6:00 pm. The Captains will play the first four matches at home before embarking on a lengthy 14-match road trip through October 7. 
 

2026 C2C Volleyball Preseason Poll
Rank	Institution	Points (1st)
1.	Christopher Newport	49 (7)
2.	Salisbury	43 (1)
3.	UC Santa Cruz	36
4.	Mary Washington	31
5.	Regent	26
T6.	JWU Charlotte	14
T6.	Warren Wilson	14
8.	Alverno	11