FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason Men's Volleyball team has been selected to finish third in the 2026 EIVA Preseason Coaches Poll, the conference announced Monday afternoon. The Patriots are only behind Penn State and NJIT, with the Nittany Lions claiming the unanimous choice to top the group for the second straight year.

George Mason ended their 2025 season with a 16-13 overall record and a conference record of 6-6. After sweeping Charleston (WV) in the first round of the EIVA tournament, the Patriots' season came to a close when they lost 3-1 to top-seeded Princeton in the semifinals.

Redshirt senior outside hitter Liam French and sophomore middle blocker Alexander Lillie were also selected to the 2026 EIVA Players to Watch list. Last season, French played 72 sets from 24 matches and scored 233 points with 191 kills. The Virginia Beach, Va., native also had 29 service aces, the second-most on the team, as well as a .242 hitting percentage, 57 digs and 22 blocks. French recorded a season-high of four service aces against Charleston (WV) on April 23^rd.

Lillie's freshman campaign was a decorated one, as he was named a three-time EIVA Defensive Player of the Week and was also selected to the EIVA First-Team.  The Ronkonkoma, N.Y., product appeared in 82 sets across 24 matches and recorded 30 solo blocks, which was the second-most in the country. In total, his 94 blocks with 1.132 blocks per set was good for ninth-best in the country as well.

George Mason starts off the 2026 season with a home opener on January 10^th at 5 pm, when the Patriots face off against Catawba College at the Reacreation Athletic Complex (RAC). After two away games in Columbus, Ohio, against Ohio State (Jan. 15) and Long Beach State (Jan. 16), the Patriots will return home to host Merrimack on Jan. 24^th at 6 pm at the RAC. 

2026 EIVA Preseason Coaches' Poll