DENVER – The MSU Denver volleyball team will enter the 2026 season with a target on its back, as the reigning NCAA Division II national champions were picked tied for third in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll, the league announced Tuesday.

The Roadrunners received 165 points in the preseason poll, matching Colorado School of Mines for third place. UCCS was selected as the preseason favorite with 187 points, followed by Colorado Mesa with 169.

MSU Denver enters the season following one of the most successful campaigns in program history. The Roadrunners went 32-3 during the 2025 season, including a 13-1 mark in RMAC play, before dominating their way through the postseason.

MSU Denver dropped just one set during the RMAC Championship before advancing through the NCAA Division II Tournament. The Roadrunners capped their historic run by defeating Concordia St. Paul 3-1 to claim the national championship.

The Roadrunners will begin their national-title defense under first-year head coach Stacie Meisner, who takes over the program after the departure of longtime head coach Jenny Glenn. 

MSU Denver is represented by two student-athletes on the 2026 Preseason All-RMAC Team: junior defensive specialist/libero Mia Accomazzo and sophomore outside hitter Brooke Gennerman.

Accomazzo and Gennerman give the Roadrunners a pair of returning All-RMAC selections heading into the new campaign, with Gennerman earning Second-Team All-RMAC honors in 2025.

MSU Denver will open its season Aug. 27 against Ferris State in Big Rapids, Michigan, beginning its quest to defend its national championship and contend for another RMAC title.

UCCS, Colorado Mesa and Colorado School of Mines join the Roadrunners at the top of the preseason poll. UCCS received eight first-place votes, while MSU Denver received four first-place votes despite not being eligible to receive a vote from its own head coach.

The Roadrunners' 2026 campaign begins Aug. 27 in Big Rapids, Michigan, against Ferris State.