ROCK HILL, S.C. — The Winthrop University volleyball team was slotted into second in the 2026 Big South Preseason Volleyball Poll, receiving three first-place votes, while Junior Paige Bennett was selected to the 2026 Big South Preseason Volleyball All-Conference Team, the conference office announced on Wednesday afternoon.
This marks the fourth-straight year that the Eagles have earned at least one first-place vote, and four straight years of having a member on the Preseason All-Conference Team.
Winthrop finished last season with an 18-7 record, holding a 12-2 mark in Big South play, earning the top seed for the first time since 2019. Head Coach Heather Gearhart has held a 48-10 record in her four seasons at the helm in Big South play. Gearhart was also tabbed as the AVCA Southeast Region Coach of the Year last season, becoming the first AVCA Region Coach of the Year in Winthrop History, and only the second ever in the Big South, the first to do so since Tom Mendoza of High Point in 2017.
Paige Bennett earns her first preseason honor, in 2025 she played in 70 sets over 17 matches, totaling 208 kills on a .205 hitting percentage while emerging as one of Winthrop’s primary offensive options. Earned Big South Player of the Week honors on Oct. 27 and was named to the Big South All-Conference Second Team, along with All-Tournament recognition at the Winthrop Invitational. Posted a career-high 21 kills on .528 hitting against Charlotte on Aug. 30, then followed with a dominant week that included 31 kills and a 3.88 kills-per-set average to rank second in the Big South. Turned in a 17-kill, .452 performance in a win before adding 14 more the following day, while also contributing defensively with 23 digs over the weekend.
The full All-Conference Team and Poll are listed below:
2026 BIG SOUTH PRESEASON VOLLEYBALL ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
Élodie Lalonde, OH, High Point (Preseason Player of the Year)
Maya Bukovcan, MB, High Point
Paige Bennett, OH, Winthrop
Summer Kohler, OH, USC Upstate
Kamyla Vega David, S, USC Upstate (Preseason Co-Setter of the Year)
Remy Catojo, S, High Point (Preseason Co-Setter of the Year)
Addison Freeland, MB, High Point
Sophia Overholt, DS/LIB, USC Upstate (Preseason Libero of the Year)
2026 BIG SOUTH PRESEASON VOLLEYBALL POLL
| Rank | Team (First Place Votes) | Points |
| 1 | High Point (5) | 61 |
| 2 | Winthrop (3) | 58 |
| 3 | USC Upstate | 44 |
| 4 | Charleston Southern | 33 |
| 5 | UNC Asheville | 30 |
| 6 | Radford | 29 |
| 7 | Gardner-Webb | 19 |
| 8 | Presbyterian | 14 |
Story courtesy of Winthrop Athletics.
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Thomas Hyslip lives in Tega Cay with his wife and daughter. After 27 years in the U.S. Army and Federal Law Enforcement, he retired to pursue his passion for teaching. Tom is now an Assistant Professor of Instruction at the University of South Florida. In 2 short years he has won 10 awards from the South Carolina Press Association, including first place in column writing, education beat reporting and best podcast.
