ST. BONIFACIUS, Minn. – The Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) released the 2026 Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll on Wednesday with Crown predicted to finish 5th in conference play.
The Polars ranked 5th with 15 points in the poll. The poll is voted on by all the head coaches in the conference. Coaches cannot vote for their own team. Head Coach
Celia Blattner returns for her 4th season at the helm of the program.
Crown returns three key members of their 2025 roster in
Delaney Boone,
Alyssa Heagney, and
Ari Klein. Boone returns to the Polars in 2026 after a freshman season leading the team in kills and blocks. Heagney returns for her senior season after missing parts of last season due to injury. Klein returns for her junior year after leading the Polars in digs and service aces last season.
The 2026 volleyball regular season opens on Tuesday, Sept. 1. The top four teams in the standings at the close of the regular season will compete in the UMAC Tournament, with the semifinals scheduled for Wednesday, November 11 and the championship game slated for Saturday, November 14. The tournament champion will receive the UMAC's automatic qualifying bid to the 2026 NCAA DIII Volleyball Championship to compete in the national tournament.
For the full UMAC Release visit:
2026 UMAC Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll and Season Preview - Upper Midwest Athletic Conference
Complete poll:
| Place |
School |
Points |
| 1 |
Northwestern (6) |
36 |
| 2 |
UW-Superior (1) |
30 |
| 3 |
Bethany Lutheran |
25 |
| 4 |
Minnesota Morris |
23 |
| 5 |
Crown |
15 |
| 6 |
Martin Luther |
12 |
| 7 |
North Central |
6 |
