IU Athletics Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – With just over a week until the start of the 2026 season, the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) unveiled its preseason top-25 rankings. Head coach Steve Aird’s Indiana squad was picked 16th by the voting coaches, the first time the program has opened the season in the national polls.
During its record-breaking campaign in 2025, IU was ranked on 10 different occasions. That includes finishing the season ranked 13th nationally during its run to the regional semifinals. This is just the 15th week in program history that the Hoosiers have made the national poll.
The Hoosiers are set to play 10 of the teams in this year’s preseason rankings. That includes top-10 non-conference tilts against Louisville (Aug. 28) and Texas A&M (Sept. 2). No. 1 Nebraska, No. 9 Purdue and No. 10 Penn State will all visit the friendly confines of Wilkinson Hall in the upcoming campaign.
IU will begin its season at No. 7 Louisville on Friday, August 28th. It’s the earliest match of a season in program history where both IU and its opponent are ranked at the same time. Aird and his group will see three of the nation’s 22 best programs in the first two weeks of the year.
Discover more from Hoosier Huddle
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.