We’ve reached the midway point of the 2026 season, and the picture is finally coming into focus. Contenders are separating themselves, résumés are taking shape, and every result now carries real postseason weight. Let’s dive in.
- Which match this weekend surprised you the most, and which didn’t get enough attention it deserved?
Ramius: I’d have to say Messiah’s clean sweep of the Baldwin Wallace tournament. They’re back in dominating fashion and look more like themselves than they were prior to Kagoro’s injury. Beating Baldwin Wallace, Hobart, and Benedictine all in one weekend is a great result for any team, even more so for one looking to stake a claim as a top 5 program.
Second shout out goes to Misericordia’s revenge sweep over Buffalo State. The Cougars are definitely talented enough to make any programs night a tough one, and they’ve been in enough 5 set battles this year for me to believe their wins are coming in the latter half of the season.
Harvey: Endicott had a great weekend, taking down Trine, Nazareth and Thiel. After a small dip since 2019, Coach Chappell has recruited a super athletic bunch over the past few years that is launching the Gulls back onto the national scene.
Lindsay: Santa Cruz had a very interesting week. I don’t think it’s a surprise they beat Carthage, even though according to the rankings it’s an upset. It is a surprise they lost to MSOE, who has some unranked losses on the year. - As we enter the halfway point of the season, who do you see as the frontrunners to win each conference?
| Conference | Ramius | Harvey | Lindsay |
| UVC | Anyone who makes the tournament | MIT | NYU |
| CVC | Who knows | Juniata | Juniata |
| AMCC | Buffalo State | Buffalo State | Buffalo st |
| CCIW | Carthage | Carthage | Carthage |
| MAC | Messiah | Messiah | Stevens |
| CUNY | NJCU | NJCU | Baruch |
| GNAC | Wentworth | Wentworth | Lasell |
| MCVL | Baldwin Wallace | Baldwin Wallace | Wittenberg |
| NEVC | Endicott | Endicott | Endicott |
| NACC | Dominican | MSOE | Aurora |
| ODAC | Randolph-Macon | Randolph-Macon | Randolph-Macon |
| PAC | Thiel | Thiel | Thiel |
| Skyline | SJLI | SJLI | SJLI |
| United East | Lancaster Bible | Lancaster Bible | Lancaster Bible |
- What matches are on your radar this week? Is anyone on upset alert?
Ramius: There are a lot of great games this week, but the one I have on my radar is Carthage versus Cal Lutheran, Carthage will want to rebound from their loss to UCSC and Cal Lutheran could arguably be a tougher draw than the Banana Slugs, a win for either isn’t out of the equation.
For an upset alert, give me NYU over Springfield. I think NYU is definitely talented enough to make that match interesting, and it’s definitely not a match Springfield should take lightly. NYU has some matchups they can take advantage of as long as their serve receive holds up.
Harvey: I’m excited to see Messiah and SVU square off this weekend. After a stellar weekend in Ohio, Messiah is almost at full strength and this will be a great test of both squads. I’ve got New Paltz on upset alert against NJCU this week as well. The Gothic Knights are frisky and playing with nothing to lose!
Lindsay: What does Vassar’s week look like? They have Hobart in UVC play and a frisky (Harvey’s word) opponent in Kean. Vassar is currently under .500, of course with an extremely tough schedule. Springfield vs NYU is always a good battle and both teams are looking really strong at the moment.
- Who are your personal Top 5 teams?
Ramius: Springfield, Stevens, Team-from-Huntingdon-not-to-be-named, California Lutheran, Messiah
Harvey: Springfield, Stevens, Juniata, California Lutheran, Messiah
Lindsay: Springfield, Stevens, Juniata, Cal Lu, NYU