CORVALLIS, Ore. – Eastern Oregon University was selected as the favorite to capture the 2026 Cascade Collegiate Conference Volleyball title in the CCC Volleyball Preseason Coaches' Poll, released Friday by the conference office.
After claiming both the 2025 CCC regular-season and tournament championships, Eastern Oregon enters the new campaign as the top team. The Mounties headline what is expected to be another highly competitive season after the Cascade Conference led the NAIA with a record seven teams qualifying for the 2025 NAIA Women's Volleyball National Championship.
Eastern Oregon earned the top spot in the preseason poll with 118 points and nine first-place votes. The Mounties advanced the farthest last season, battling through to the NAIA National Championship semifinals before falling in a hard-fought five-set match. EOU looks to build on last year's championship campaign as it pursues another conference title.
Corban University was picked second with 106 points and one first-place vote. The Warriors are coming off another strong season that saw them qualify for the NAIA National Championship and advance to the final site, positioning themselves as one of the conference's top contenders once again.
Southern Oregon University and College of Idaho tied for third with 92 points, with the Raiders also earning one first-place vote. Both programs reached the NAIA National Championship last season and return with expectations of remaining among the conference's elite.
Lewis-Clark State College landed fifth with 74 points, followed closely by Bushnell University with 69 points. Northwest University and Oregon Tech tied for seventh with 52 points apiece, while Walla Walla University claimed ninth with 28 points. The Evergreen State College (25 points) and Warner Pacific University (14 points) rounded out the preseason poll.
The Cascade Conference continued to establish itself as one of the nation's premier volleyball conferences during the 2025 season. Along with seven national tournament qualifiers, five CCC programs advanced to the NAIA National Championship final site. The conference also produced six NAIA All-Americans, while five teams finished the season ranked in the NAIA Women's Volleyball Coaches Top 25 Postseason Poll and three additional programs received votes.
With conference champions, national semifinalists, and multiple nationally ranked programs returning to the court, the CCC is set for another exciting and competitive volleyball season.
2026 CCC Volleyball Preseason Poll
| Team (First-Place Votes) |
Points |
| 1. Eastern Oregon University (9) |
118 |
| 2. Corban University (1) |
106 |
| T-3. Southern Oregon University (1) |
92 |
| T-3. College of Idaho |
92 |
| 5. Lewis-Clark State College |
74 |
| 6. Bushnell University |
69 |
| T-7. Oregon Tech |
52 |
| T-7. Northwest University |
52 |
| 9. Walla Walla University |
28 |
| 10. The Evergreen State College |
25 |
| 11. Warner Pacific University |
14 |