BOSTON -- The defending America East champion UMBC Volleyball team was named the preseason favorite in a vote of the Conference's six head coaches, the America East announced on Wednesday. 

The Retrievers received all five possible first place votes as coaches were not permitted to vote for their own team. Last November, UMBC defeated UAlbany in five sets to win its fifth America Eat title in six seasons.

"It's an honor to have high expectations from programs we deeply respect," said head coach Kasey Crider. "Now, the job becomes setting - and meeting - those expectations for ourselves."

In addition, seniors Jalynn Brown and Hannah Howard were both voted to the eight-member Preseason All-Conference team. Brown was a First Team All-Conference selection last season and led the team in kills (358), kills per set (3.58) and points per set (4.15). She was named to the All-Championship team after sh had 24 kills on .327 hitting, 11 digs and two blocks in the America East Championship victory over UAlbany.

Howard is coming off a sensational 2025 season in which she was named the America East Defensive Player of the Year for the second time. She also was named the America East Championship's Most Outstanding Player after picking up a career-best 32 digs in the four set win in the Championship over UAlbany, and earned a spot on the All-Conference First Team. Her 457 digs were the tenth most in a single season in UMBC history, while she recorded double-digit digs in 23 of 25 matches, including 11 20+ dig efforts. 

The Retrievers open the season with a pair of games in West Virginia against UTRGV (8/29, 3 p.m.) and the host Mountaineers the following day at noon.