COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Aug. 18, 2026) – Colorado State University Pueblo volleyball has been picked to finish fifth in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll released by the league office.

In the preseason poll, which was voted on by the league's 15 head coaches, the ThunderWolves accumulated 155 points, receiving one second-place vote and four third-place votes. The Pack sits 10 points behind Colorado School of Mines and defending NCAA Division II National Champion MSU Denver, which tied for third with 165 points. Head coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams.

UCCS, which earned a share of the RMAC regular-season title last season and finished as runner-up in the RMAC Tournament, was selected as the preseason favorite. The Mountain Lions received 187 points, including eight first-place votes, four second-place votes and one third-place vote. UCCS posted a 26-4 overall record and a 13-1 mark in RMAC play last season.

Colorado Mesa was picked second with 169 points after receiving one first-place vote, five second-place votes and three third-place votes. Mines and MSU Denver tied for third with 165 points apiece. Mines received two first-place votes, three second-place votes and four third-place votes, while MSU Denver, which went 32-3 and captured its first NCAA Division II National Championship in women's volleyball last season, earned four first-place votes, two second-place votes and two third-place votes.

Colorado Christian was picked sixth with 125 points and one third-place vote, followed by Fort Lewis in seventh with 112 points and South Dakota Mines in eighth with 107 points. Westminster was ninth with 83 points, while Regis rounded out the top 10 with 67 points.

Adams State was picked 11th with 62 points, followed by New Mexico Highlands in 12th with 52 points and Western Colorado in 13th with 44 points. Black Hills State (43 points) and Chadron State (38 points) rounded out the preseason poll.

The Pack, coached by Jordan Bruere, returns four starters and seven letterwinners from last season's 20-9 squad that finished third in the RMAC with an 11-3 conference record and advanced to the NCAA South Central Regional for the first time since 2022.

Along with releasing the preseason coaches' poll, the league announced its Preseason All-RMAC Team, which features 14 student-athletes who earned First- or Second-Team All-RMAC honors last season. CSU Pueblo senior setter Elena Stankovic (Cajetina, Serbia/Barton County CC) was the Pack's lone representative on the preseason team.

Stankovic was named the RMAC Setter of the Year and earned First-Team All-RMAC honors last season after directing the Pack offense with 936 assists and averaging 9.75 assists per set. She also recorded 222 digs, 93 kills, 36 service aces and 58 total blocks while hitting .308. Stankovic led the Pack in assists, ranked fourth on the team in digs and recorded 10 double-doubles on the season.

UCCS led the way with four Preseason All-RMAC selections, while Colorado Mesa had three selections and Fort Lewis and MSU Denver each had two players recognized. CSU Pueblo, Mines and South Dakota Mines each had one player selected to the Preseason All-RMAC Team.

Bruere's second Pack team began preseason practice for the 2026 season on Aug. 10 and will open its campaign Aug. 28-29 with four matches at the Angelo State Invitational in San Angelo, Texas.

CSU Pueblo opens the season at 3 p.m. on Aug. 28 against East Central before facing Minnesota State-Moorhead at 7 p.m. later that evening. The Pack concludes the tournament on Aug. 29 against UT Permian Basin at noon and faces tournament host Angelo State at 6:30 p.m.