ARLINGTON, Texas (August 25, 2026) – The United Athletic Conference announced the 2026 preseason coaches' poll and preseason awards on Tuesday, giving Reese Ricketts and Kinslee McGowan preseason all-conference awards and ranking the Lions fourth out of nine teams.  

McGowan returns for her junior year after a stellar 2025 season, earning a Third Team All-ASUN selection after leading the ASUN in assists with 1,164. She also broke the Division I program assists per set record with 9.95 and the Division I program single-match assists record with 60 against FGCU on October 12. McGowan tallied four ASUN Setter of the Week awards last season, making her the first player to do so in the Division I era.  

Ricketts enters her junior year after collecting Third Team All-ASUN honors for the past two seasons and ASUN Freshman of the Year in 2024. Last year, she was second on the team in kills and third in the ASUN with 380. Ricketts accumulated 425.5 points on the season, recording 223 digs, 38 blocks, 27 assists and 26 service aces.  

The UAC also revealed the 2026 preseason coaches' poll, putting UNA fourth out of nine teams in the newly formed conference. Last season, the Lions finished seventh in the ASUN after going 14-16 overall and 8-8 in conference.  

Eastern Kentucky is picked as the preseason favorite with 80 votes and eight out of nine first place votes. Central Arkansas is picked second with 70 votes and one first place vote. Close behind them is Tarleton State with 66 votes, followed by North Alabama in fourth with 57 votes.  

Abilene Christian ranks fifth, followed by UT Arlington, Austin Peay, Little Rock and West Georgia.  

To view the UAC preseason awards, click here. 

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