There is no doubt about Penn State being the favorite to win another conference championship in Hall of Fame coach Mark Pavlik’s farewell season.
The Nittany received every first-place vote to finish atop the EIVA Preseason Poll that the conference released on Monday.
Penn State returns the majority of its starters after winning the EIVA Tournament championship as the No. 3 seed last season. The team also defeated Daemen on the road in the NCAA Tournament opening round and advanced to the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals.
Pavlik, the longest active tenured coach in NCAA men’s volleyball, announced earlier this month that he would retire at the end of the 2026 season. The Hall of Famer has accumulated 694 career wins en route to leading the Nittany Lions to 25 EIVA championships, four NCAA Tournament finals appearances and the 2008 national championship.
Penn State in the preseason poll garnered 49 votes and beat out second-place NJIT by 15 votes.
George Mason and Princeton round out the top half of the seven-team poll that is determined by the conference head coaches.
The EIVA regular season will begin in February and conclude with the six-team conference tournament in April. The winner of the EIVA Tournament will receive the conference’s automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.
2026 EIVA Preseason Poll
1. Penn State – 49 (7) points
2. NJIT – 34 points
3. George Mason – 32 points
4. Princeton – 26 points
T-5. Charleston – 22 points
T-5. Harvard – 22 points
7. Sacred Heart – 11 points
EIVA Players to Watch
Charleston: Lucas Torres (pin), Kai Cousins (outside)
George Mason: Liam French (outside), Alex Lillie (middle)
Harvard: Zach Berty (outside), Brian Thomas (outside)
NJIT: Diego Lopez (libero), Andrew Fedmasu (middle)
Penn State: Owen Rose (middle), Ryan Merk (libero)
Princeton: Ryan Vena (middle), Mason Rice (outside)
Sacred Heart: Aleksa Mandic (outside), Harryzen Soares (libero)
EIVA Players to Watch selected by conference head coaches.