EDISON, NJ (August 20, 2026) – Fairfield University has been selected as the preseason favorite heading into the 2026 Metro Volleyball season, following a vote by the league’s 12 head coaches. Stags senior Mamie Krubally was named the 2026 Metro Volleyball Preseason Player of the Year, earning a spot on the Preseason All-Metro Team.
The defending conference champions, Fairfield earned the top spot in the preseason poll with 142 points and 10 first-place votes. The Stags captured their 15th conference championship in program history in 2025, adding to a record that includes the most titles and championship appearances in league history with 24 appearances. Fairfield enters the 2026 season as three-time defending conference champions after winning titles in each of the last three seasons. The Stags defeated Quinnipiac University in the 2023 and 2024 championship matches before claiming the 2025 title with a 3-0 victory over No. 3 seed Rider University after earning the regular-season championship.
Quinnipiac was selected second in the preseason poll with 127 points and one first-place vote. The Bobcats have made five conference championship appearances, capturing one title. After finishing the 2025 regular season second in the conference standings, Quinnipiac’s season came to an end in the conference semifinals with a 3-1 loss to Rider.
Rider was picked third in the preseason poll with 110 points and one first-place vote. Canisius placed fourth with 101 points, while Niagara rounded out the top five with 81 points.
Krubally was selected as the 2026 Metro Volleyball Preseason Player of the Year after earning All-Conference First Team honors in each of her last two seasons. The senior led Fairfield with 314 kills and averaged 2.91 kills per set in 2025, ranking ninth in the conference in kills per set while also recording a .303 hitting percentage, which ranked sixth in the Metro. Krubally recorded a season-high 19 kills while hitting .531 in a five-set thriller against UConn on September 13, earning conference Volleyball Player of the Week honors for her performance.
The complete 2026 Metro Volleyball Preseason Coaches' Poll and Preseason All-Metro Team are listed below.
| 2026 Metro Volleyball Preseason Coaches’ Poll |
| 1 |
Fairfield |
142 (10) |
| 2 |
Quinnipiac |
127 (1) |
| 3 |
Rider |
110 (1) |
| 4 |
Canisius |
101 |
| 5 |
Niagara |
81 |
| 6 |
Siena |
80 |
| 7 |
Sacred Heart |
77 |
| 8 |
Marist |
62 |
| 9 |
Iona |
55 |
| 10 |
Merrimack |
48 |
| 11 |
Saint Peter’s |
28 |
| 12 |
Manhattan |
25 |
| Preseason Player of the Year |
| Mamie Krubally (Fairfield) |
| Preseason All-Metro Team |
|
| Player |
Year |
Institution |
| Mamie Krubally |
Sr. |
Fairfield |
| Makenna Mason |
Sr. |
Rider |
| Julia Leonardo |
So. |
Iona |
| Miliani Villarreal |
Jr. |
Sacred Heart |
| Doga Diraz |
Sr. |
Siena |
| Sara Dasic |
Sr. |
Marist |
| Emma Bortolotti |
So. |
Fairfield |
| Mary Claire Deacy |
So. |
Siena |
|
|
|
|
The 2026 Metro Volleyball Championship will feature a six-team, single-elimination format and is scheduled for November 17-23. The first-round match will be hosted by the higher seed on Tuesday, November 17. The semifinals and championship final will be hosted by the No. 1 seed and played on consecutive dates, with the schedule determined by the host institution between Friday, November 20 and Monday, November 23. For more information regarding the 2026 Metro Volleyball Championship, please visit
here.