SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Southern Conference announced its preseason balloting from the league's ten head coaches today, with Wofford picked to finish second in the conference. Chloe Smith, Bradley Brown, and Laney Klika earned Preseason All-SoCon honors. Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own team or players.
 
"We are excited for Laney, Bradley and Chloe to receive this honor from the coaches," said head coach Lynze Roos. "That trio has been a central unit for us – and along with the returners – have come in ready to work hard this preseason to prepare."
 
ETSU was tabbed as the preseason favorite after receiving five first place votes and 77 total voting points. Wofford followed with 72 points and four first place votes. Furman was picked third with one first place vote, while UNCG, Chattanooga, and Samford ranked fourth, fifth, and sixth, respectively. SoCon newcomer Tennessee Tech was picked to finish seventh. Western Carolina placed eighth on the preseason ballot. Closing out the coaches poll was Mercer at ninth and The Citadel at tenth.
 
An eight-person preseason all-conference team was selected regardless of position. Wofford placed three players on the team – the most by any other team in the conference. Wofford was the only team to garner multiple selections.
 
Chloe Smith, a junior outside hitter from Louisville, Kentucky, earned All-SoCon Second Team honors last season. She was named the SoCon Tournament MVP after posting 21 kills and 10 digs against No. 1 ETSU in the SoCon Championship. Smith led the team with 367 kills, 420.0 points, and was second on the team with 288 digs in 2025. She totaled nine double-doubles last season.
 
Bradley Brown, a junior middle blocker from Florence, South Carolina, picks up her second-straight nod on the Preseason All-SoCon Team. Brown became the first Wofford sophomore to earn All-SoCon First Team honors since 2017 last season. She ended the 2025 season with a .333 hitting percentage to rank fifth in the conference. Brown finished second on the team in kills (279), points (364.5), and blocks (99.0) last season.
 
Laney Klika, a senior libero from Novelty, Ohio, was named the SoCon Libero of the Year for the second-straight season in 2025 while also picking up an All-SoCon Second Team nod. Klika led the conference with 5.03 digs per set, ranking her 13^th in the nation. Her total of 543 digs were second in the SoCon and 20^th nationally. She set a four-set program record of 37 digs against Northern Arizona last season.
 
The Terriers finished the season with a 17-14 record last season, including a 10-6 record in conference play. That marks the third-straight season the team has reached double-digit wins in conference play. Wofford won its third-straight SoCon Tournament Championship last season.
 
The season opener is set for Saturday, August 29, against Winthrop in the Wildcat Classic hosted by Davidson. The Terriers will host Presbyterian on Tuesday, September 1, to open up Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium for the 2026 season.
 
2026 Southern Conference Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll

ETSU (5)	77
Wofford (4)	72
Furman (1)	69
UNCG	50
Chattanooga	48
Samford	46
Tennessee Tech	29
Western Carolina	28
Mercer	22
The Citadel	9

() denotes first-place votes
 
2026 Southern Conference Volleyball Preseason All-Conference Team
Makayla Bays, ETSU, OH
Tennyson Gorman, Furman, MB
Allie Sweet, UNCG, OH
Ally Cordes, Samford, OH
Katie Boney, Western Carolina, S
Bradley Brown, Wofford, MB
Laney Klika, Wofford, LIB
Chloe Smith, Wofford, OH