1/9/2026
Defending champions seek third consecutive conference title after back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances
Lancaster Bible College has been selected first in the United East Conference men’s volleyball preseason coaches’ poll for 2026, as the defending champions look to continue their dominance in head coach Jade Brubaker’s 13th season. Wilson College follows in second place, with Neumann University third, Cairn University fourth, Saint Elizabeth University fifth, Immaculata University sixth, Gallaudet University seventh, Valley Forge University eighth, and Pratt Institute ninth.
The preseason rankings set the stage for the 2026 season in which all nine programs will play each other once during conference play, with the top six teams earning berths to the United East Men’s Volleyball Championship.
Championship Foundation
Lancaster Bible enters the 2026 season after claiming its second consecutive United East championship in 2025, defeating Wilson College 3-0 (25-14, 25-14, 25-15) in the tournament final. The Chargers finished 23-7 overall and 8-0 in conference play, never dropping a single set in United East competition for the second straight year. Lancaster Bible earned its second consecutive NCAA Division III Men’s Volleyball Tournament berth, facing Messiah University in the opening round.
Under head coach Jade Brubaker, Lancaster Bible has won three consecutive conference titles (2023 CSAC, 2024 and 2025 United East), establishing the program as the conference’s premier power. The Chargers have now captured four conference championships in program history, the most among any Lancaster Bible athletic program.
Key Departures and Returning Players
Lancaster Bible lost two key contributors from its 2025 championship team to graduation. Senior Jordan Yoder, the 2025 United East Tournament MVP, completed his career after dominating the championship match with 11 kills, 12 digs, and a .556 hitting percentage. The outside hitter earned First Team All-Conference honors and United East Senior Scholar Athlete recognition after recording 268 kills and 41 service aces during his final season. Yoder finished his two-year career with 331 kills, 223 digs, and 44 aces.
Senior Dawson Forney also graduated after recording 265 kills and 28 service aces in the 2025 championship season, earning First Team All-Conference recognition.
The Chargers return significant talent for 2026. Junior Carson Hoover emerged as a key contributor in 2025, posting 12 kills and a career-high 12 digs in the conference semifinal victory over Neumann. He added 10 kills in the championship match. Sophomore Kevin Bryant recorded his 100th career block during the 2025 tournament run, finishing with 23 solo and 77 assisted blocks in just two seasons. Senior setter Tyler Martin returns to lead the offense after dishing 32 assists in the semifinal and 35 in the championship final. Sophomore Zeke Clark returns as an outside hitter contributor.
The Chargers averaged 2.06 aces per set in 2025, ranking 12th in Division III, demonstrating their aggressive serving attack. Lancaster Bible has maintained an undefeated conference record across two full seasons, going a combined 14-0 in United East regular season play without losing a set.
Wilson’s Historic Breakthrough
Wilson College, selected second in the preseason poll, enjoyed the most successful season in program history in 2025. The Phoenix finished 14-13 overall and 7-1 in United East play, earning the second seed in the conference tournament and reaching the championship match for the first time. Wilson set program records with their first winning season overall and first winning conference record.
Head coach Jeff Hoke earned United East Coach of the Year honors after guiding the Phoenix to their historic season. The program placed six players on the 2025 All-Conference teams, the most postseason honors in program history. Junior Jackson Wolfe earned United East Rookie of the Year recognition after registering 237 kills, 69 blocks, 148 digs, and 18 aces. Wolfe hit .206 and recorded a career-best 21 kills without a hitting error against Hilbert College.
Junior outside hitters Xavier Webber and Jacob McCoy return as key contributors. Webber recorded a season-best 12 kills with 10 digs in a late-season victory over Gallaudet, while McCoy provided consistent offensive and blocking production. Junior Demetrius Simmons returns after strong play as a middle blocker. The Phoenix won five consecutive matches to close the regular season, securing their first-round bye into the tournament semifinals.
Neumann’s First Tournament Appearance
Neumann University, picked third in the preseason poll, earned its first-ever conference playoff berth in its debut United East season. The Knights finished 14-12 overall with a 5-3 conference record, then defeated Saint Elizabeth in straight sets in the opening round before falling to Lancaster Bible in the semifinals.
Sophomore outside hitter Trey Edmonds earned First Team All-Conference honors after leading the United East with 330 kills. His kill total set a Neumann single-season program record. Edmonds hit .247 and added 33 service aces (second in conference) plus 186 digs. He earned two United East Player of the Week awards during the season.
Junior Christian DeMarco earned United East Defensive Player of the Year recognition after leading all of Division III in digs per set at 3.68. He finished with 265 digs despite playing in 24 fewer sets than the conference digs leader, setting a Neumann program record. DeMarco also earned First Team All-Conference honors.
Junior middle blocker Veryl Burns earned Second Team All-Conference recognition after hitting .263 and leading the United East with 30 solo blocks. His 57 total blocks ranked sixth in the conference, and he now holds the top three single-season blocking records in Neumann program history. Burns added 157 kills.
Cairn’s Offensive Firepower
Cairn University, selected fourth in the preseason poll, brings back 2025 United East Offensive Player of the Year Sam Poirier. The sophomore outside hitter led the conference with 4.63 kills per set and 296 total kills. Poirier hit .271 and averaged 4.93 points per set. He earned Second Team All-Conference recognition in 2024 before claiming the top offensive honor in 2025.
The Highlanders compete under second-year head coach Shea Scott, who brings experienced leadership to the program.
Conference Format and Championship
The 2026 United East men’s volleyball regular season features a round-robin format with each team playing the other eight conference opponents once. The top six finishers advance to the single-elimination United East Championship tournament. All tournament matches are hosted by the higher seed.
Lancaster Bible has dominated conference tournament play since joining the United East, sweeping all five playoff matches across two seasons to claim back-to-back championships. The Chargers defeated Neumann 3-0 in the 2025 semifinals before blanking Wilson 3-0 in the championship match.
Saint Elizabeth, Immaculata, Valley Forge
Saint Elizabeth University, picked fifth, returns players from their 2025 tournament appearance. The Eagles were defeated by Neumann in the opening round but bring back experience from postseason competition.
Immaculata University, selected sixth, looks to reach the six-team tournament field after finishing outside the playoff positions in 2025.
Valley Forge University, and Head Coach Kyle Mariano, look to be in development for 2026 and their schedule reflects a lighter non-conference schedule.
Gallaudet’s Debut Season
Gallaudet University completed its first United East season in 2025 after returning to competition following an 11-year hiatus. The Bison finished 5-17 overall with a 2-6 conference record but earned two All-Conference selections in their debut campaign.
First-year libero Elian Zfati earned First Team All-Conference honors after recording 266 digs with 3.33 digs per set average, ranking among the conference’s top defensive players. First-year opposite Zachary Bippus earned Second Team All-Conference recognition after leading Gallaudet with 197 kills, 233.5 points, 46 blocks, and 148 digs in 20 matches.
Season Outlook
The 2026 season begins in mid-January with non-conference competition before United East conference play commences. Lancaster Bible’s quest for a third consecutive United East title and fourth straight conference championship overall will face challenges from Wilson’s program-record success, Neumann’s tournament experience, and Cairn’s offensive firepower led by the reigning Offensive Player of the Year.
With nine teams competing for six postseason spots, the race for tournament qualification promises intense competition throughout the conference schedule. The United East champion receives the conference’s automatic qualifier to the NCAA Division III Men’s Volleyball Championship.
Lancaster Bible continues its tradition of scheduling challenging non-conference competition, having faced numerous nationally ranked opponents in previous seasons to prepare for conference play and postseason competition. The Chargers’ undefeated conference record across two full seasons establishes them as the clear favorites entering 2026, but Wilson’s historic 2025 breakthrough and Neumann’s first playoff appearance demonstrate the conference’s growing competitive depth.