Men’s Volleyball Tops 2026 IVA Preseason Poll; Four Railsplitters Earn Preseason All-Conference

Men's Volleyball

Men’s Volleyball Tops 2026 IVA Preseason Poll; Four Railsplitters Earn Preseason All-Conference

HARROGATE, TN - Lincoln Memorial University has been voted No. 1 in the seven-team 2026 Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (IVA) preseason poll, the league announced. The Railsplitters top a field that includes Barry, Tusculum, Merrimack, Catawba, P.R. Río Piedras, and Newberry.

LMU also led the way on the preseason all-conference lists, placing three First-Team selections and one Second-Team pick. Johan Negron, Axel van Baars, and Relja Milosavljević earned First-Team honors, while Zadyn LaBreche was named to the Second Team. The quartet headlines a deep group as the Railsplitters aim to build on last year's 24–1 finish and extend the program's streak of seven consecutive IVA championships.

The Railsplitters open with a home-heavy January at Mary Mars Gymnasium before a nationally competitive stretch highlighted by a two-match road set at Ohio State, a neutral-site weekend in Cambridge against BYU and Merrimack, and a late-February West Coast trip to CSUN, UC Santa Barbara, and Pepperdine. With LMU slotted first in the poll ahead of Barry (2), Tusculum (3), Merrimack (4), Catawba (5), P.R. Río Piedras (6), and Newberry (7), the preseason outlook sets the stage for another title chase in 2026.
 

2026 IVA Men's Volleyball Preseason Poll

1. Lincoln Memorial

2. Barry

3. Tusculum

4. Merrimack

5. Catawba

6. P.R. Rio Piedras

7. Newberry
 

2026 IVA Men's Volleyball Preseason All-Conference

First Team

Johan Negron, Lincoln Memorial

Axel van Baars, Lincoln Memorial

Relja Milosavljevic, Lincoln Memorial

Bobby Clapp, Barry

Jeremy Ferreira, Barry

Morgan Makovec, Tusculum

Aiden Roper, Tusculum

Reece Lindstrom, Merrimack

Kyle Standage, Merrimack

Justin Arrowood, Catawba

John Cordray, Catawba

Adrian Rivera, P.R. Rio Piedras

Lucas Nieves, Newberry

 

Second Team

Zadyn LaBreche, Lincoln Memorial

Philip Tien, Barry

Joao Piazza Baumgartem, Barry

William Phinizy, Barry

Riley Wisniakowski, Tusculum

Adam Svendsen, Tusculum

Kristian Smith, Catawba

Max Adkisson, Catawba

Luke Ramirez, P.R. Rio Piedras

Leonardo Lopez, P.R. Rio Piedras

Julian Rivera, P.R. Rio Piedras

Preston Anderson, Newberry

Tibulo Smith, Newberry


 
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Players Mentioned

Johan Negron

#15 Johan Negron

Opp
6' 4"
Junior
Axel van Baars

#8 Axel van Baars

OH
6' 7"
Senior

Players Mentioned

Johan Negron

#15 Johan Negron

6' 4"
Junior
Opp
Axel van Baars

#8 Axel van Baars

6' 7"
Senior
OH