2026 NAIA Women’s Volleyball Coaches’ Preseason Top 25 Poll
SEWARD, Neb. – The 2026 Concordia University, Nebraska Volleyball team will sport a No. 3 NAIA national ranking when the new season debuts next week. The NAIA National Office released its preseason women’s volleyball poll on Aug. 12. The lofty ranking for the Bulldogs represents the program’s highest ever preseason placement in the national poll. Both the 2023 and 2024 squads opened their seasons at No. 4 in the coaches’ poll.
Head Coach Ben Boldt’s program finished 2025 at No. 4 in the NAIA poll, following a historic run to the national semifinals. Concordia concluded the ’25 campaign at 28-4 overall (15-1 GPAC).
Concordia has appeared inside the NAIA top five of 26 consecutive NAIA coaches’ polls. During the 2023 season, the Bulldogs twice landed the NAIA No. 1 ranking. Concordia has finished in the national rankings in each of the past seven seasons. The Bulldogs achieved final national rankings of 14th in 2019, eighth in 2020, sixth in 2021, fourth in both 2022 and 2023, fifth in 2024 and fourth in 2025 (no rankings were issued after the national tournaments in 2022 or 2023).
In the 2026 preseason poll, Concordia was joined by GPAC rivals in No. 1 Northwestern, No. 16 Dakota Wesleyan and No. 21 Midland. During the nonconference slate, the Bulldogs will take on No. 4 Indiana Wesleyan University, No. 5 Corban University (Ore.) and No. 7 McPherson College (Kan.).
Ben Boldt became the winningest coach in volleyball program history last season and has compiled an overall mark of 182-55 over eight seasons. Associated Head Coach Angie Boldt was tabbed the 2025 NAIA National Assistant Coach of the Year by the AVCA.