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Aug. 12—MITCHELL — Dakota Wesleyan University volleyball will enter the 2026 season ranked No. 16 in the NAIA women's volleyball coaches' top-25 preseason poll, released Wednesday.
The Tigers are looking to return to Sioux City for another national tournament appearance after a strong 2025 campaign that saw DWU finish 20-12. All-Americans Kayleigh Hybertson and Lizzie Tyler led the way for the Tigers last season and return for their senior years, while all-conference performers Evy Knoblock and Karly VanDerWerff return in the main rotation to help bolster the offensive attack.
The preseason ranking marks DWU's first appearance in the top 25 since 2023, when the Tigers earned a program-best No. 13 preseason ranking. The Tigers first broke into the preseason poll in 2022 at No. 15 for the first time in program history.
Northwestern (Iowa) enters the season as the NAIA's top-ranked team after finishing as the national runner-up in 2025 while capturing both the Great Plains Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament championships. Eastern Oregon moved to No. 2, followed by Concordia (Neb.) at No. 3. Indiana Wesleyan, which won its third consecutive national title last season, fell from No. 1 to No. 4 after graduating several players. Corban (Ore.) rounded out the top five.
Providence (Mont.), McPherson (Kan.), Bellevue (Neb.), Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio) and Cumberlands (Ky.) completed the top 10. Midland (Neb.) was the other GPAC representative in the poll, coming in at No. 20.
Dakota Wesleyan opens its season Friday, Aug. 14, traveling to San Antonio, Texas, for the Our Lady of the Lake University Invite. The Tigers will play four matches during the weekend as they begin a stretch of 12 consecutive road matches to open the season before making its home debut against Dordt on Sept. 9.
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The Tigers are looking to return to Sioux City for another national tournament appearance after a strong 2025 campaign that saw DWU finish 20-12. All-Americans Kayleigh Hybertson and Lizzie Tyler led the way for the Tigers last season and return for their senior years, while all-conference performers Evy Knoblock and Karly VanDerWerff return in the main rotation to help bolster the offensive attack.
The preseason ranking marks DWU's first appearance in the top 25 since 2023, when the Tigers earned a program-best No. 13 preseason ranking. The Tigers first broke into the preseason poll in 2022 at No. 15 for the first time in program history.
Northwestern (Iowa) enters the season as the NAIA's top-ranked team after finishing as the national runner-up in 2025 while capturing both the Great Plains Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament championships. Eastern Oregon moved to No. 2, followed by Concordia (Neb.) at No. 3. Indiana Wesleyan, which won its third consecutive national title last season, fell from No. 1 to No. 4 after graduating several players. Corban (Ore.) rounded out the top five.
Providence (Mont.), McPherson (Kan.), Bellevue (Neb.), Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio) and Cumberlands (Ky.) completed the top 10. Midland (Neb.) was the other GPAC representative in the poll, coming in at No. 20.
Dakota Wesleyan opens its season Friday, Aug. 14, traveling to San Antonio, Texas, for the Our Lady of the Lake University Invite. The Tigers will play four matches during the weekend as they begin a stretch of 12 consecutive road matches to open the season before making its home debut against Dordt on Sept. 9.
Continue reading...
