VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - The Batten University women's volleyball team will enter the 2026 season ranked among the nation's best, as the Marlins were selected No. 22 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division III Preseason Poll.

The preseason ranking marks the latest milestone for a program that has continued to establish itself on the national stage. Batten is the lone Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) program ranked in the AVCA preseason Top 25.

The Marlins are coming off one of the most successful seasons in program history, finishing the 2025 campaign with a 31-2 overall record and earning their third NCAA Tournament appearance. Batten also hosted the first NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Regional in program history, welcoming seven other teams to TowneBank Arena for the three-day regional tournament.

Batten's 2025 NCAA appearance came one year after the program earned its first NCAA Tournament victory, and the Marlins continued that postseason success last season by advancing through their regional. The historic campaign also saw Batten establish itself as a nationally recognized program, reaching as high as No. 9 in the AVCA rankings during the season.

Individually, the Marlins were represented by two AVCA All-Americans following the 2025 season. Niya Nash earned Honorable Mention All-America honors for the first time in her career, while Hannah Smith was selected Honorable Mention All-American for the second consecutive season. Smith was also named the ODAC Player of the Year after helping lead Batten to an undefeated conference record, while Nash broke the program's single-season assists record with 1,200 assists.

The Marlins were ranked third in the ODAC Preseason Poll.