Utah Volleyball Voted Middle-of-the-Pack in Big 12 Preseason Coaches’ Poll
8/11/2026 9:05 AM | Volleyball
Outside hitter Kamryn Gibadlo named to Big 12 Preseason Team
SALT LAKE CITY – Utah Volleyball comes in eighth place according to their peers in the 2026 Big 12 Preseason Coaches' Poll, while outside hitter Kamryn Gibadlo earned recognition on the Big 12 Preseason Team.
"We're excited to be picked eighth in a conference with as much depth as the Big 12 has shown," head coach Alyssa D'Errico said. "We'll take that as a starting point for this group, certainly not an ending point. There's a little bit of a chip on our shoulder knowing there's so much more we believe this team can accomplish. We're excited about the depth and competitive level of the Big 12 and the opportunity to play Top 25 caliber teams throughout both our non-conference and conference schedules. It's going to challenge us every night, and we're excited to embrace that challenge and see how much we can grow and compete."
The Utes are set to start a new chapter in their storied history under the direction of first-year head coach D'Errico who is taking over the program after legendary coach Beth Launiere retired at the conclusion of last season.
Utah finished 2025 15-15 after stamping its ticket to a 20th appearance in the NCAA Tournament and will be looking to continue that positive trajectory under D'Errico in 2026. The Utes tied for 11th place in the Big 12 at the conclusion of the year.
Gibadlo had a terrific junior campaign in 2025, earning a 25th AVCA All-America selection for the program while becoming the first player since Dani Drews to earn multiple All-American recognitions in her career. Additionally, Gibadlo was an All-Big 12 First Team selection and an AVCA All-Region First Team selection as well.
"Having Gibby recognized as a preseason All-Conference selection is a great reflection of the work she has put in this offseason," D'Errico said. "She's coming off a second consecutive Honorable Mention All-American season and is a two-time All-Conference selection, but she hasn't been satisfied with where she's been. She's continued to push herself to become one of the best six-rotation pins in the country, while also taking on a bigger role as a leader for this team and our program. This offseason has challenged her to step up in a lot of ways, and I've been proud of how she's responded, grown and continued to raise the standard for those around her."
LOOKING TO 2026
Utah Volleyball will start the 2026 season with a "meet-and-greet" while hosting Weber State in an exhibition at the Jon M. Huntsman Center on Saturday, Aug. 15 with first serve set for 3 p.m. MT. Fans can RSVP for the "meet-and-greet" here. Both the match and "meet-and-greet" are free to the public.
Utah will have one more warmup, on Friday, Aug. 21 against Oregon in Eugene at 12 p.m. MT before turning its attention to the season opener in Orem, Utah, against Utah Valley on Friday, Aug. 28 at 7 p.m. MT as part of the UVU Tournament.
Fans can check out the full 2026 slate here.
Single game and season tickets for Utah Volleyball's 2026 season are available for purchase.
FULL 2026 BIG 12 VOLLEYBALL PRESEASON POLL RESULTS
2026 Big 12 Volleyball Preseason Player of the Year
Noemie Glover, Arizona State
2026 Big 12 Volleyball Preseason Freshman of the Year
Taylor Stanley, Kansas
2026 Big 12 Volleyball Preseason Team
Carlie Cisneros, Arizona, OH, Jr. ^
Aniya Clinton, Arizona State, OH, Sr. ^
Noemie Glover, Arizona State, RS, Sr.*#
Una Vajagic, Arizona State, OH, Jr.
Ksenia Rakhmanchik, Baylor, OH, So.*#!
Alex Bower, BYU, S, Jr. #
Brielle Kemavor, BYU, MB, Sr.*#
Claire Little Chambers, BYU, OH, Sr.^
Avah Armour, UCF, OH, Sr.*#
Sydney Nolan, Cincinnati, OH, Sr.#
Ana Burilovic, Colorado, OH, Sr.*#
Cayla Payne, Colorado, MB, Sr.^
Rachel Van Gorp, Iowa State, L, Jr.*#
Reese Messer, Kansas, S, So.
Reese Ptacek, Kansas, MB, Jr.*#
Jalyn Gibson, TCU, OPP, Gr.
Evan Hendrix, TCU, OH, Jr.*#
Becca Kelley, TCU, OH, Sr. ^
Kamryn Gibadlo, Utah, OH, Sr. #
Players are listed alphabetically by school.
* indicates unanimous selection.
# - 2025 All-Big 12 First Team
^ - 2025 All-Big 12 Second Team
! – 2025 All-Big 12 Rookie Team
FOLLOW THE UTES
For an inside look at the Utah Volleyball program, fans can follow the Utes on social media (X: @UtahVolleyball | Instagram: @utahvolleyball).
DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL MOBILE APP OF THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH TODAY – UTAH 360
"We're excited to be picked eighth in a conference with as much depth as the Big 12 has shown," head coach Alyssa D'Errico said. "We'll take that as a starting point for this group, certainly not an ending point. There's a little bit of a chip on our shoulder knowing there's so much more we believe this team can accomplish. We're excited about the depth and competitive level of the Big 12 and the opportunity to play Top 25 caliber teams throughout both our non-conference and conference schedules. It's going to challenge us every night, and we're excited to embrace that challenge and see how much we can grow and compete."
The Utes are set to start a new chapter in their storied history under the direction of first-year head coach D'Errico who is taking over the program after legendary coach Beth Launiere retired at the conclusion of last season.
Utah finished 2025 15-15 after stamping its ticket to a 20th appearance in the NCAA Tournament and will be looking to continue that positive trajectory under D'Errico in 2026. The Utes tied for 11th place in the Big 12 at the conclusion of the year.
Gibadlo had a terrific junior campaign in 2025, earning a 25th AVCA All-America selection for the program while becoming the first player since Dani Drews to earn multiple All-American recognitions in her career. Additionally, Gibadlo was an All-Big 12 First Team selection and an AVCA All-Region First Team selection as well.
"Having Gibby recognized as a preseason All-Conference selection is a great reflection of the work she has put in this offseason," D'Errico said. "She's coming off a second consecutive Honorable Mention All-American season and is a two-time All-Conference selection, but she hasn't been satisfied with where she's been. She's continued to push herself to become one of the best six-rotation pins in the country, while also taking on a bigger role as a leader for this team and our program. This offseason has challenged her to step up in a lot of ways, and I've been proud of how she's responded, grown and continued to raise the standard for those around her."
LOOKING TO 2026
Utah Volleyball will start the 2026 season with a "meet-and-greet" while hosting Weber State in an exhibition at the Jon M. Huntsman Center on Saturday, Aug. 15 with first serve set for 3 p.m. MT. Fans can RSVP for the "meet-and-greet" here. Both the match and "meet-and-greet" are free to the public.
Utah will have one more warmup, on Friday, Aug. 21 against Oregon in Eugene at 12 p.m. MT before turning its attention to the season opener in Orem, Utah, against Utah Valley on Friday, Aug. 28 at 7 p.m. MT as part of the UVU Tournament.
Fans can check out the full 2026 slate here.
Single game and season tickets for Utah Volleyball's 2026 season are available for purchase.
FULL 2026 BIG 12 VOLLEYBALL PRESEASON POLL RESULTS
- Arizona State
- TCU
- Kansas
- Baylor
- Colorado
- Iowa State
- BYU
- UTAH
- UCF
- Arizona
- Kansas State
- Cincinnati
- West Virginia
- Houston
- Texas Tech
2026 Big 12 Volleyball Preseason Player of the Year
Noemie Glover, Arizona State
2026 Big 12 Volleyball Preseason Freshman of the Year
Taylor Stanley, Kansas
2026 Big 12 Volleyball Preseason Team
Carlie Cisneros, Arizona, OH, Jr. ^
Aniya Clinton, Arizona State, OH, Sr. ^
Noemie Glover, Arizona State, RS, Sr.*#
Una Vajagic, Arizona State, OH, Jr.
Ksenia Rakhmanchik, Baylor, OH, So.*#!
Alex Bower, BYU, S, Jr. #
Brielle Kemavor, BYU, MB, Sr.*#
Claire Little Chambers, BYU, OH, Sr.^
Avah Armour, UCF, OH, Sr.*#
Sydney Nolan, Cincinnati, OH, Sr.#
Ana Burilovic, Colorado, OH, Sr.*#
Cayla Payne, Colorado, MB, Sr.^
Rachel Van Gorp, Iowa State, L, Jr.*#
Reese Messer, Kansas, S, So.
Reese Ptacek, Kansas, MB, Jr.*#
Jalyn Gibson, TCU, OPP, Gr.
Evan Hendrix, TCU, OH, Jr.*#
Becca Kelley, TCU, OH, Sr. ^
Kamryn Gibadlo, Utah, OH, Sr. #
Players are listed alphabetically by school.
* indicates unanimous selection.
# - 2025 All-Big 12 First Team
^ - 2025 All-Big 12 Second Team
! – 2025 All-Big 12 Rookie Team
FOLLOW THE UTES
For an inside look at the Utah Volleyball program, fans can follow the Utes on social media (X: @UtahVolleyball | Instagram: @utahvolleyball).
DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL MOBILE APP OF THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH TODAY – UTAH 360
Players Mentioned
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