1/9/2026
Conference champions lead competitive 13-team field as one of Division III’s strongest conferences
Aurora University has claimed the top spot in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) men’s volleyball preseason poll for the 2026 season with 336 points and 24 first-place votes. MSOE (Milwaukee School of Engineering) follows closely in second with 306 points and two first-place votes, while Benedictine University placed third with 281 points. Dominican University rounds out the top four with 271 points.
The preseason poll, voted on by the conference’s head coaches and athletics communications professionals, features 13 teams competing for eight postseason tournament berths in one of NCAA Division III’s most competitive men’s volleyball conferences.
Aurora’s Championship Foundation
Aurora University enters the 2026 season as the defending 2025 NACC Tournament Champion under head coach Dan Ames. The Spartans defeated MSOE in a thrilling five-set championship match (26-4 overall record, 11-1 NACC regular season) to claim their first conference tournament title and earn the program’s first NCAA Division III Championship berth.
Aurora returns three members of the 2025 NACC All-Tournament Team: Tournament MVP SJ Nelson (outside hitter), setter Logan Brouwer, and libero Alex Nonhof. Nelson hit .438 with 25 kills in the championship match, matching the tournament single-match record. Brouwer posted a 52-assist, 12-dig double-double in the final, while Nonhof contributed 19 digs.
The Spartans also return 2025 NACC Player of the Year Josh McLellan, who earned AVCA All-Region honors after recording 393 kills (4.01 per set) with a .300 hitting percentage. The 6’8″ senior from Calgary, Alberta, Canada is primed for the national stage. Nonhof, the 2025 NACC Defensive Player of the Year, also earned AVCA All-Region recognition and First Team All-NACC honors. Both players were named to the First Team All-NACC in 2025.
MSOE Returns Championship Core
Milwaukee School of Engineering returns to championship contention after reaching the 2025 NACC Tournament Championship final, where the Raiders fell to Aurora in five sets. MSOE finished the 2025 season with strong credentials, reaching the tournament final as the second seed.
The Raiders return key players from the 2025 championship run, including 2025 All-Tournament selections Tommy Clausz and Seth Thomas. Thomas led MSOE with 14 kills and 15 digs in the championship match, while Clausz provided key contributions in the middle. Sophomore setter Parker Rings, who earned NACC Freshman of the Year honors in his 2024 debut, returns after dishing out 45 assists in the 2025 championship final.
The experienced core provides MSOE with significant championship credentials entering the 2026 season, having proven they can compete at the highest conference level.
Benedictine and Dominican Battle for Position
Benedictine University claimed third place in the preseason poll under head coach Mike Stevens, who joined the Eagles after spending three seasons as an assistant at Carthage. During Stevens’ time at Carthage, the program posted a 60-17 record, reached the 2022 and 2023 NCAA tournaments, and won the 2022 NCAA Division III National Championship. Benedictine returns 2025 NACC All-Tournament selections Cooper Armstrong and Spencer VanEngen.
Dominican University placed fourth in the preseason poll after reaching the 2025 NACC Tournament semifinals as the fourth seed. The Stars finished 14-11 overall with a 9-3 conference mark in 2025. Dominican returns 2025 NACC All-Tournament selections Ty Geschke and Tyler Vrska, providing the program with experienced championship contributors entering 2026.
Conference Depth
Concordia University Chicago earned 189 points for fifth place, followed by Edgewood College with 189 points in the tied position. Illinois Institute of Technology placed seventh with 183 points, while Concordia University Wisconsin earned 153 points for eighth.
Concordia Wisconsin returns senior middle blocker Lucas Beres, a three-time All-NACC honoree who earned Second Team All-NACC recognition. The Falcons also return Reid Scott, who earned Honorable Mention All-NACC honors as a freshman.
Edgewood College returns three Honorable Mention All-NACC players: Gavin Patterson, Owen Hartjes, and Ryder Hill-Zastrow. Setter Will Gehrke became the program’s first player to surpass 1,000 career assists.
Marian University placed ninth with 132 points under head coach Blake Badtke, a Marian alumnus who previously served as an assistant at Fond du Lac High School. Wisconsin Lutheran College earned 120 points for 10th place, followed by St. Norbert College (107 points), Lakeland University (85 points), and Rockford University (34 points).
Tournament Format and Schedule
The NACC regular season features conference play beginning in late January, with the first full league weekend scheduled for February 21-23. The regular season concludes April 4-5, with the top eight teams in the final standings qualifying for the NACC Tournament.
The tournament champion receives the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament.
National Rankings Context
The NACC consistently produces nationally competitive programs, with multiple teams earning rankings in the AVCA Division III Coaches Poll throughout the season. The conference’s depth creates challenging competition throughout the regular season, with multiple teams capable of championship runs.
The tight clustering at the top of the preseason poll reflects the competitive balance, with Aurora’s 30-point margin over MSOE representing a slim advantage in a conference where multiple programs have legitimate title aspirations.
Season Outlook
The 2026 season begins in mid-January with non-conference competition, providing teams opportunities to face nationally ranked opponents before conference play begins. Several NACC programs have scheduled matches against top-20 nationally ranked teams.
Aurora’s preseason number one ranking reflects the program’s 2025 championship breakthrough and strong returning core led by Nelson, McLellan, Brouwer, and Nonhof. MSOE’s strong second-place showing demonstrates the Raiders’ championship potential after pushing Aurora to five sets in the 2025 final. Benedictine brings championship coaching experience under Stevens, Dominican returns All-Tournament selections, and the conference’s depth ensures competitive races for both the regular season championship and tournament berths.
The NACC regular season title will be determined by conference winning percentage, with the tournament providing the automatic NCAA qualifier. Aurora captured both the 2025 regular season title (11-1) and tournament championship, setting the standard for the 2026 season. Multiple teams project to compete for the eight tournament positions, creating compelling races throughout the conference schedule.