Cards Picked Third in ACC Preseason Poll; Four Earn Preseason All-ACC Honors
July 30, 2026 | Women's Volleyball
Kalyssa Blackshear, Nayelis Cabello, Chloe Chicoine, and Payton Petersen were tabbed Preseason All-ACC.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The University of Louisville volleyball team was picked to finish third in the Atlantic Coast Conference this fall as part of the conference's preseason coaches poll that was released on Thursday.
The Cardinals received 257 points and one first-place vote for the third-highest ranking in the preseason poll after finishing in a tie for fourth in the ACC last season with a 16-4 record in conference play.
Stanford was picked to win the league with 280 points and 10 first-place votes, while Pittsburgh followed close behind in second with 277 points and seven first-place votes. SMU and North Carolina rounded out the top five, placing fourth with 245 points and fifth with 225 points, respectively. The full preseason ACC coaches poll can be found below.
In addition to the third-place ranking in the preseason poll, four Cardinals were selected to the Preseason All-ACC Team, the second-highest total in the conference behind Stanford.
Opposite hitter Kalyssa Blackshear, setter Nayelis Cabello, and outside hitters Chloe Chicoine and Payton Petersen earned spots on the Preseason All-ACC team, as voted on by the league's head coaches.
Blackshear, the 2025 ACC Freshman of the Year, enters her sophomore season on the heels of a standout rookie campaign that saw her notch 336 kills on a .299 hitting percentage while adding 123 blocks, earning Second Team All-ACC and Freshman All-ACC honors.
Cabello was tabbed AVCA Honorable Mention All-American and First Team All-ACC last season after finishing the year second in the ACC and ninth nationally with 1,271 assists. The junior led the Cards to a team hitting percentage of .270 that ranked among the top 25 in the NCAA a year ago.
Chicoine also earned AVCA Honorable Mention All-American and First Team All-ACC distinction last year in her first season in a Louisville uniform. The senior started all 33 matches in 2025 after spending two years at Purdue, leading the Cardinals with 413 kills and racking up 340 digs.
Petersen rounds out the Preseason All-ACC selections for the Cardinals, fresh off a sophomore season where she started all 33 matches and was named to the All-ACC Second Team. The junior led the team with 13 double-doubles, racking up 393 kills and 319 digs over the course of the season. This summer, Petersen helped the United States U21 National Team win gold at the NORCECA U21 Pan American Cup, where she was named Best Spiker of the tournament.
The Cardinals are set to open their season next month in Milwaukee, Wis. at the AVCA First Serve, where they will square off against a pair of national semifinalists from a year ago. Louisville will kick off the weekend on Aug. 21 with a rematch against defending national champion Texas A&M before playing Wisconsin on Aug. 22.
2026 Preseason ACC Volleyball Coaches Poll
1. Stanford (10) | 280 points
2. Pittsburgh (7) | 277 points
3. Louisville (1) | 257 points
4. SMU | 245 points
5. North Carolina | 225 points
6. Georgia Tech | 198 points
7. Miami | 193 points
8. Florida State | 180 points
9. NC State | 148 points
10. Wake Forest | 131 points
11. Virginia | 119 points
12. Notre Dame | 104 points
13. California | 93 points
14. Clemson | 89 points
15. Boston College | 87 points
16. Duke | 70 points
17. Syracuse | 37 points
18. Virginia Tech | 21 points
First-place votes in parentheses
2026 Preseason All-ACC Volleyball Team
Kyleene Filimaua, Florida State
Kalyssa Blackshear, Louisville
Nayelis Cabello, Louisville
Chloe Chicoine, Louisville
Payton Petersen, Louisville
Ariana Rodriguez, Miami
Safi Hampton, North Carolina
Chelsea Thorpe, North Carolina
Olivia Babcock, Pittsburgh
Blaire Bayless, Pittsburgh
Izzy Starck, Pittsburgh
Favor Anyawanu, SMU
Suli Davis, SMU
Lizzy Andrew, Stanford
Julia Blyashov, Stanford
Spencer Etzler, Stanford
Jordyn Harvey, Stanford
Logan Parks, Stanford
For the latest information on Louisville Volleyball, visit GoCards.com, or follow the team's Instagram and X account at @louisvillevb or on Facebook at facebook.com/LouisvilleVB.
The Cardinals received 257 points and one first-place vote for the third-highest ranking in the preseason poll after finishing in a tie for fourth in the ACC last season with a 16-4 record in conference play.
Stanford was picked to win the league with 280 points and 10 first-place votes, while Pittsburgh followed close behind in second with 277 points and seven first-place votes. SMU and North Carolina rounded out the top five, placing fourth with 245 points and fifth with 225 points, respectively. The full preseason ACC coaches poll can be found below.
In addition to the third-place ranking in the preseason poll, four Cardinals were selected to the Preseason All-ACC Team, the second-highest total in the conference behind Stanford.
Opposite hitter Kalyssa Blackshear, setter Nayelis Cabello, and outside hitters Chloe Chicoine and Payton Petersen earned spots on the Preseason All-ACC team, as voted on by the league's head coaches.
Blackshear, the 2025 ACC Freshman of the Year, enters her sophomore season on the heels of a standout rookie campaign that saw her notch 336 kills on a .299 hitting percentage while adding 123 blocks, earning Second Team All-ACC and Freshman All-ACC honors.
Cabello was tabbed AVCA Honorable Mention All-American and First Team All-ACC last season after finishing the year second in the ACC and ninth nationally with 1,271 assists. The junior led the Cards to a team hitting percentage of .270 that ranked among the top 25 in the NCAA a year ago.
Chicoine also earned AVCA Honorable Mention All-American and First Team All-ACC distinction last year in her first season in a Louisville uniform. The senior started all 33 matches in 2025 after spending two years at Purdue, leading the Cardinals with 413 kills and racking up 340 digs.
Petersen rounds out the Preseason All-ACC selections for the Cardinals, fresh off a sophomore season where she started all 33 matches and was named to the All-ACC Second Team. The junior led the team with 13 double-doubles, racking up 393 kills and 319 digs over the course of the season. This summer, Petersen helped the United States U21 National Team win gold at the NORCECA U21 Pan American Cup, where she was named Best Spiker of the tournament.
The Cardinals are set to open their season next month in Milwaukee, Wis. at the AVCA First Serve, where they will square off against a pair of national semifinalists from a year ago. Louisville will kick off the weekend on Aug. 21 with a rematch against defending national champion Texas A&M before playing Wisconsin on Aug. 22.
2026 Preseason ACC Volleyball Coaches Poll
1. Stanford (10) | 280 points
2. Pittsburgh (7) | 277 points
3. Louisville (1) | 257 points
4. SMU | 245 points
5. North Carolina | 225 points
6. Georgia Tech | 198 points
7. Miami | 193 points
8. Florida State | 180 points
9. NC State | 148 points
10. Wake Forest | 131 points
11. Virginia | 119 points
12. Notre Dame | 104 points
13. California | 93 points
14. Clemson | 89 points
15. Boston College | 87 points
16. Duke | 70 points
17. Syracuse | 37 points
18. Virginia Tech | 21 points
First-place votes in parentheses
2026 Preseason All-ACC Volleyball Team
Kyleene Filimaua, Florida State
Kalyssa Blackshear, Louisville
Nayelis Cabello, Louisville
Chloe Chicoine, Louisville
Payton Petersen, Louisville
Ariana Rodriguez, Miami
Safi Hampton, North Carolina
Chelsea Thorpe, North Carolina
Olivia Babcock, Pittsburgh
Blaire Bayless, Pittsburgh
Izzy Starck, Pittsburgh
Favor Anyawanu, SMU
Suli Davis, SMU
Lizzy Andrew, Stanford
Julia Blyashov, Stanford
Spencer Etzler, Stanford
Jordyn Harvey, Stanford
Logan Parks, Stanford
For the latest information on Louisville Volleyball, visit GoCards.com, or follow the team's Instagram and X account at @louisvillevb or on Facebook at facebook.com/LouisvilleVB.
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