SEATTLE – The Great Northwest Athletic Conference announced its Women's Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll on Tuesday, featuring Seattle Pacific University picked to finish sixth in the standings by the conference's coaches.
Last year, Alaska Fairbanks, Simon Fraser, Alaska Anchorage, and Central Washington shared the GNAC title. Those same four teams are featured in the top five of the 2026 GNAC Preseason Coaches Poll. The Read Leafs earned two first place votes and 90 points to be the frontrunners in this year's poll. The Wildcats received six first-place votes and 88 points to be ranked second. The Nanooks, Western Washington, and the Seawolves round out the top five in order.
The Falcons were picked sixth with 41 points. In 2025, the Falcons opened the year 4-0 after taking every game at the Otter Invitational on opening weekend. It was the first time the Falcons had started the year 4-0 since 2010. SPU finished the season with a 12-14 record, and went 7-11 in conference play.
"The GNAC had a very tightly contested top half of the conference last season, and it is no surprise that those teams are currently being voted to be close together again this year," head coach
Jason Rhine said. "That being said, it's a new season with lots of changes in personnel and no games have been played yet."
Sophia Chambers,
Christina Lopez, and
Megan Omlid return to the Falcons after strong seasons in 2025. Chambers appeared in 97 sets across 26 matches for the Falcons, leading the team with 640 assists and 6.60 assists per set. She surpassed 1,000 career assists against Western Washington on Oct. 23 while adding 31 kills, 19 service aces, and 236 digs for an average of 2.43 digs per set. Also contributed three solo blocks and 20 assisted blocks for 23 total blocks while finishing the season with 63 points.
Lopez appeared in 98 sets across 26 matches for the Falcons, leading the team with 476 digs and an average of 4.86 digs per set. Surpassed 1,000 career digs against Montana State Billings on Nov. 8 while adding 108 assists and 19 service aces. Finished the season with 21 points and earned GNAC Honorable Mention recognition.
Omlid appeared in 98 sets across 26 matches for the Falcons, leading the team with 343 kills, 3.50 kills per set, 36 service aces, 394.5 points, and 4.03 points per set. She also ranked second on the team with 305 digs and 3.11 digs per set while adding five solo blocks and 21 assisted blocks for 26 total blocks. Omlid joined Lopez as a GNAC Honorable Mention last season.
The Falcons welcome four newcomers to the roster in
Charlize Espinosa,
Charlotte Hastings,
Mackenna Golden, and
Stella Pollack. Espinosa, a 5-foot-8 defensive specialist/libero from Renton, Washington, joins the Falcons following a decorated career at Liberty High School. She earned three All-League selections, the 2024 KingCo Defensive Player of the Year award, and First Team All-League honors as a senior.
Hastings, a 6-foot hitter from Santa Barbara, California, joins Seattle Pacific after a standout career at San Marcos High School. She earned First Team All-League honors as a junior and was named League MVP as a senior while helping lead her team to the CIF Division 2 state semifinals.
Golden, a 6-foot-5 middle blocker from Eden Prairie, Minnesota, joins Seattle Pacific after three years of varsity volleyball at Chaska High School. She earned Most Improved honors and Academic All-Conference recognition while developing into a key contributor for her team.
"We are really excited to build off of last year's finish and compete hard every week of the GNAC whether against teams currently considered favorites or otherwise," Rhine said. "Two of our related goals this year are playing consistently to the level we are capable of and playing with the culture we value so highly."
The Falcons' 2026 schedule is loaded with quality opponents throughout the season. They'll be tested early at the Cal State San Bernardino Coyote Classic on Aug. 27-29. The Falcons play Cal Poly Pomona and Cal State San Bernardino on Aug. 28. The Broncos received votes, while the Coyotes are ranked 25
th in the country in the American Volleyball Coaches Association Preseason Poll.
The top five in the GNAC Preseason Coaches Poll either received votes or are ranked comfortably inside the AVCA Preseason Top 25. The Falcons will meet the Wildcats (RV), the Seawolves (RV), the Vikings (#20), the Nanooks (T-16) and the Red Leafs (#15) twice throughout the GNAC schedule.
"We believe our team is coming back with a lot of continuity, but also more experience and potentially some surprises for both our conference and nonconference opponents," Rhine added. "Can't wait to get started."
The Falcons host the University of Puget Sound on Monday, Aug. 24, at 6:00 p.m. inside Royal Brougham Pavilion in an exhibition match. The match is free to attend and will be streamed live on the GNACNetwork.
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