Liberty Ranked 2nd in CUSA Preseson Volleyball Poll
8/20/2026 1:05:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Liberty has been predicted to finish second in the Conference USA (CUSA) Preseason Volleyball Poll, released Thursday by the league office. The poll was voted on by all 10 conference head coaches.
Additionally, Liberty senior outside hitter Jenna Otts, junior outside hitter Carly O'Brien and junior right-side hitter Paige Overcash were all named to the CUSA Preseason All-Conference Team. All three Lady Flames were voted to the 2025 CUSA All-Conference second team.
Western Kentucky was voted the preseason favorite. WKU won the 2025 CUSA Volleyball Championship, downing FIU in the final to make its seventh straight NCAA Volleyball Championship appearance. The Hilltoppers received 81 points and nine first-place votes.
Liberty received 67 points and one first-place votes, good for second place in the poll. New Mexico State and Kennesaw State were tied for third, followed by 2025 Conference USA Volleyball Championship runner-up FIU in fifth.
Missouri State appears sixth in the preseason poll, while Delaware is seventh. Middle Tennessee and Jacksonville State are tied for eighth, followed by Sam Houston in 10th.
O'Brien, who hails from Pauline, S.C., proved to be one of the most versatile outside hitters in the conference this season. She averaged 3.03 kills per set, 2.90 digs per set and 0.33 aces per set. For the season, O'Brien registered a team-leading 14 double-doubles, while scoring 10 or more kills 17 times. She set a program single-match 25-point rally-scoring record with 31 kills in a 3-2 victory at Houston. Later in the season, she totaled 28 kills and 20 digs on Nov. 7 at Missouri State. In Liberty's rally-scoring history, only O'Brien and Amelia Johnson (2019) have posted multiple matches with 28 or more kills in the same season.
A native of Saint Johns, Fla, Otts had a breakthrough season during her second year as a Lady Flame. She ranked eighth in CUSA in kills per set both overall (3.22) and in league play (3.24). Otts posted a team-leading 24 double-digit kill matches, the most 10-kill matches by a Lady Flame since Amelia Johnson's 26 during the 2019 season. She scored 18 kills at a .586 clip on Sept. 5 at previously unbeaten West Virginia and sent down a season-high 20 kills against FIU, Oct. 24. The junior completed a streak with 11 straight double-digit kill contests late in the season.
Hailing from Warrensville, N.C., Overcash is an electrifying attacker on the right side for the Lady Flames. She was named CUSA Offensive Player of the Week each of the first three weeks of the season, the first CUSA player since 2019 to receive three straight CUSA Offensive Player of the Week honors. Overcash ranked seventh in the conference in kills per set both overall (3.28) and 10th in conference play (3.21). The sophomore posted 20 double-digit kill matches, with 10 of those coming in Conference USA play. On Sept. 13 against East Carolina, Overcash became the first Liberty player since 2001 to score 30 kills in a match.
Under the direction of second-year Head Coach Jeremy White, Liberty opens its 2026 schedule on Aug. 28 against Auburn as part of the ETSU Buccaneer Classic in Johnson City, Tenn. The Lady Flames host Middle Tennessee, Sept. 25-26, to begin their CUSA schedule.
The 2026 CUSA Volleyball Championship will be hosted by Jacksonville State from Nov. 20-22 in Jacksonville, Ala., with the winner of the eight-team tournament earning the CUSA's automatic berth to the 2026 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship.
2026 Conference USA Preseason Volleyball Poll (First Place Votes)
1. Western Kentucky (9) 81
2. Liberty (1) 67
3T. New Mexico State
3T. Kennesaw State
5. FIU
6. Missouri State
7. Delaware
8T. Middle Tennessee
8T. Jacksonville State
10. Sam Houston
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CUSA Preseason All-Conference Team
Jillian Huckabey, FIU
Olivia Burrage, Kennesaw State
Carly O'Brien, Liberty
Jenna Otts, Liberty
Paige Overcash, Liberty
Hannah Gardner, Missouri State
Maggie Lightheart, New Mexico State
Tayler Baron, Western Kentucky
Kaira Knox, Western Kentucky
Alivia Skidmore, Western Kentucky
Izzy Van De Wiele, Western Kentucky
Faith Young, Western Kentucky
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Preseason Player of the Year: Alivia Skidmore, Western Kentucky
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Additionally, Liberty senior outside hitter Jenna Otts, junior outside hitter Carly O'Brien and junior right-side hitter Paige Overcash were all named to the CUSA Preseason All-Conference Team. All three Lady Flames were voted to the 2025 CUSA All-Conference second team.
Western Kentucky was voted the preseason favorite. WKU won the 2025 CUSA Volleyball Championship, downing FIU in the final to make its seventh straight NCAA Volleyball Championship appearance. The Hilltoppers received 81 points and nine first-place votes.
Liberty received 67 points and one first-place votes, good for second place in the poll. New Mexico State and Kennesaw State were tied for third, followed by 2025 Conference USA Volleyball Championship runner-up FIU in fifth.
Missouri State appears sixth in the preseason poll, while Delaware is seventh. Middle Tennessee and Jacksonville State are tied for eighth, followed by Sam Houston in 10th.
O'Brien, who hails from Pauline, S.C., proved to be one of the most versatile outside hitters in the conference this season. She averaged 3.03 kills per set, 2.90 digs per set and 0.33 aces per set. For the season, O'Brien registered a team-leading 14 double-doubles, while scoring 10 or more kills 17 times. She set a program single-match 25-point rally-scoring record with 31 kills in a 3-2 victory at Houston. Later in the season, she totaled 28 kills and 20 digs on Nov. 7 at Missouri State. In Liberty's rally-scoring history, only O'Brien and Amelia Johnson (2019) have posted multiple matches with 28 or more kills in the same season.
A native of Saint Johns, Fla, Otts had a breakthrough season during her second year as a Lady Flame. She ranked eighth in CUSA in kills per set both overall (3.22) and in league play (3.24). Otts posted a team-leading 24 double-digit kill matches, the most 10-kill matches by a Lady Flame since Amelia Johnson's 26 during the 2019 season. She scored 18 kills at a .586 clip on Sept. 5 at previously unbeaten West Virginia and sent down a season-high 20 kills against FIU, Oct. 24. The junior completed a streak with 11 straight double-digit kill contests late in the season.
Hailing from Warrensville, N.C., Overcash is an electrifying attacker on the right side for the Lady Flames. She was named CUSA Offensive Player of the Week each of the first three weeks of the season, the first CUSA player since 2019 to receive three straight CUSA Offensive Player of the Week honors. Overcash ranked seventh in the conference in kills per set both overall (3.28) and 10th in conference play (3.21). The sophomore posted 20 double-digit kill matches, with 10 of those coming in Conference USA play. On Sept. 13 against East Carolina, Overcash became the first Liberty player since 2001 to score 30 kills in a match.
Under the direction of second-year Head Coach Jeremy White, Liberty opens its 2026 schedule on Aug. 28 against Auburn as part of the ETSU Buccaneer Classic in Johnson City, Tenn. The Lady Flames host Middle Tennessee, Sept. 25-26, to begin their CUSA schedule.
The 2026 CUSA Volleyball Championship will be hosted by Jacksonville State from Nov. 20-22 in Jacksonville, Ala., with the winner of the eight-team tournament earning the CUSA's automatic berth to the 2026 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship.
2026 Conference USA Preseason Volleyball Poll (First Place Votes)
1. Western Kentucky (9) 81
2. Liberty (1) 67
3T. New Mexico State
3T. Kennesaw State
5. FIU
6. Missouri State
7. Delaware
8T. Middle Tennessee
8T. Jacksonville State
10. Sam Houston
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CUSA Preseason All-Conference Team
Jillian Huckabey, FIU
Olivia Burrage, Kennesaw State
Carly O'Brien, Liberty
Jenna Otts, Liberty
Paige Overcash, Liberty
Hannah Gardner, Missouri State
Maggie Lightheart, New Mexico State
Tayler Baron, Western Kentucky
Kaira Knox, Western Kentucky
Alivia Skidmore, Western Kentucky
Izzy Van De Wiele, Western Kentucky
Faith Young, Western Kentucky
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Preseason Player of the Year: Alivia Skidmore, Western Kentucky
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Players Mentioned
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