PROVIDENCE, R.I. — The Little East Conference (LEC) has announced the preseason polls for women's volleyball entering the 2026 season and the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth – the 2024 & 2025 Conference Champions – were tabbed second overall in the coaches' poll with two first-place votes and 57 points.
The Corsairs trailed only defending champion, Plymouth State University – who received seven first-place votes and 63 total points. Last season, UMass Dartmouth shouldered a tough regular season loss to the Panthers on the road, before falling by a 3-1 margin in the Little East Conference Championship game at Tripp Gym.
In 2025, UMass Dartmouth finished 21-8 overall, guided by head coach Justin Turco, who enters his fifth season at the helm. The Corsairs went 7-1 overall during Little East play.
The Corsairs got off to a great start, opening with a 5-0 mark, but faced tough competition through the middle of September. UMass Dartmouth rebounded with a statement run beginning on September 20 as they rattled off 14 straight match victories through October 25 to sit atop the Little East standings.
Earning the LEC regular season title, the Corsairs posted a 3-0 victory at home against fifth-seeded WestConn, advancing to their third straight title game. In the championship – which featured the Corsairs and Plymouth State for the third straight season – the Panthers claimed the victory to earn the conference's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.
The Corsairs return to the court in 2026 with 13 players from last year's squad, including two-time Little East First Team honoree, junior
Olivia Seutter, along with All-LEC First Team selection,
Allison Pate – a senior captain this season. UMass Dartmouth welcomes five newcomers to this year's team as well.
During the 2025 campaign, the Corsairs finished Top-3 overall in numerous categories, including first in hitting percentage (.208), second in team assists (1,130), team digs (1,772) and team kills (1,233), along with third in blocks per set (1.69), digs per set (17.20) and team total blocks (174.0).
Seutter started all 29 matches for the Corsairs last season, playing in 103 sets. She led the squad and the Little East in kills with 367 and amongst the LEC leaders, ranked second overall in hitting percentage (.314) and kills per set (3.56). Pate was right behind her teammate, ranking third in the conference in total kills with 351 as a starter in all 29 matches played. She also ranked second in the conference in total attacks (1,021) and was third in kills per set (3.41).
The Corsairs also return senior captain and setter
Skye Peters who recorded 639 assists last season – helping the squad rank fourth overall in total assists. She eclipsed 1,500 assists during the 2025 season.
In addition to Plymouth State and UMass Dartmouth, filling out the LEC Preseason Poll was UMass Boston (46 points) in third, followed by WestConn (43), Eastern Connecticut State (38), Keene State (32), Rhode Island College (21), Southern Maine (15) and Vermont State University Castleton (9).
UMass Dartmouth, which will be captained this season by Pate and Peters, kicks-off its 2026 campaign on Tuesday, September 1, traveling to Dean College for a 7pm match. The Corsairs open their home schedule on Tuesday, September 8 at 6pm against Wheaton in the Tripp Athletic Center.
