FOREST, Va. – The Old Dominion Athletic Conference has released its preseason poll for the 2026 Men's Volleyball season. Fresh off a season that saw the Yellow Jackets record a 22-10 record en route to their first ODAC title and bid to the NCAA Tournament, RMC tops the poll with eight first-place votes and 64 total points.
After finishing second in the ODAC last year, Roanoke was tabbed second in the poll, registering one first-place vote and 53 total points. Rounding out the top three is Randolph, as the WildCats tallied 46 points.
Coming in with 42 points is Eastern Mennonite in fourth, followed by Lynchburg with 38 points. Virginia Wesleyan and Shenandoah occupy the next two spots, with 35 and 21 points, respectively. The final two spots are held by Bridgewater (15) and Averett (10).
The program returns all five of its 2025 All-ODAC Award winners. First-team players
Phillip Van Essendelft (Chesapeake, Va./Hickory),
Kody Rogan (Chesapeake, Va./Hickory) and
Ian Wagenhauser (Glen Allen, Va./Deep Run) return for their senior campaigns after career years a season ago. Rogan, the reigning ODAC Offensive Player of the Year, led the ODAC in assists per set (9.03) and finished second in service aces (49) and service aces per set (0.49). Van Essendelft led the conference with a .388 hitting percentage, while Wagenhauser finished first in the ODAC in service aces (51), service aces per set (.53), as well as second in kills (325) and kills per set (3.35).
Juniors
Bryce Matthews (Chesterfield, Va./Clover Hill) and
Brady Plucker (Fredericksburg, Va./Riverbend) return after earning All-ODAC Second-Team honors. Matthews finished second on the team in kills (227) and total points (263.5). Plucker notched a career-high 232 digs for the Lemon and Black last year, good for fourth in the conference.
RMC opens the season with two matches next Friday. The Yellow Jackets first travel to St. Davids, Pennsylvania, where they will play at 5:00 p.m. against Eastern University. Shortly after, at 7:00 p.m., the Lemon and Black face off against Immaculata University in Immaculata, Pennsylvania.
