2026 RMAC Preseason Volleyball Poll/Team
 
COLORADO SPRINGS – The Colorado School of Mines volleyball team tied for third in the 2026 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference's Preseason Coaches' Poll and also received votes in the national preseason poll.
 
Mines' tied for third on the conference list thanks to two first-place votes, a trio of second-place votes, and four third-place votes for a total of 165 points. They tied with defending national champion MSU Denver which earned four first-place votes. Last year's co-champion UCCS was picked to win the league thanks to eight first-place votes on the way to 187 points. Colorado Mesa projected second thanks to one first-place vote and five second-place votes which gave the Mavericks 169 points in the voting. Rounding out the top eight at the projected field for the conference tournament were #5 CSU Pueblo, #6 Colorado Christian, #7 Fort Lewis, and #8 South Dakota Mines. The preseason poll was voted on by the league's 15 head coaches who were not allowed to vote for their own team. Additionally, Jenna McLaughlin represented the Orediggers on the Preseason All-RMAC squad after earning First-Team All-RMAC in 2025.
 
Head Coach Jamie Magalei's squad was also featured in the American Volleyball Coaches' Association (AVCA)-Taraflex Division II Preseason Poll after receiving 23 votes which proved equivalent to #35 in the nation. Other RMAC and South Central Region teams in the national rankings included #3 MSU Denver, #19 West Texas A&M, and #21 Angelo State while UCCS, Colorado Mesa, and Dallas Baptist all received votes as well.
 
Mines will open its 2026 campaign on Thursday, Aug. 27 at its own Oredigger Volleyball Classic presented by Marriott Denver West. The Orediggers start with Cal Poly Humboldt at 5 p.m. on Thursday evening. They face Cal State Dominguez Hills and Flagler on Friday at 12 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., respectively. The weekend ends with Mines hosting Rockhurst at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday. All Oredigger Classic matches will be streamed on the RMAC Network at www.minesathletics.com/tv.
 
Fans can keep up with Mines volleyball on "X" (formerly Twitter) at @MinesVolleyball and on Instagram at @mines.volleyball. They can also keep up with Colorado School of Mines Athletics all year long on Facebook, "X" and Instagram using the handle @MinesAthletics.
 
2026 RMAC Volleyball Preseason Poll (First-Place Votes) – Total Points
1. UCCS (8) – 187
2. Colorado Mesa (1) – 169
t3. Mines (2) - 165
t3. MSU Denver (4) – 165
5. CSU Pueblo – 155
6. Colorado Christian – 125
7. Fort Lewis – 112
8. South Dakota Mines – 107
9. Westminster – 83
10. Regis – 67
11. Adams State – 62
12. New Mexico Highlands – 52
13. Western Colorado – 44
14. Black Hills State – 43
15. Chadron State – 38