COLONIA, NJ – After finishing one match shy of qualifying got the East Coast Conference (ECC) championship tournament a year ago, the Roberts Wesleyan University Women's Volleyball team has been picked to finish fifth in the ECC Preseason poll as voted on by the head coaches in the conference.
Roberts earned four conference victories in 2025 and finished with a 4-8 conference mark.
Defending champion Mercy University was voted the top team in the preseason poll with 49 points and all seven first-place votes. Molloy University (39 points) was second followed by Daemen University (37) and D'Youville University (29) for the top four teams in the standings. The Redhawks (15 points) placed fifth while St. Thomas Aquinas College (14) and Queens College (14) finished in a tie for the No. 6 spot in the poll.
Roberts returns a pair of seniors with Julia Dufkova and Camryn Karelus on a young roster that includes four sophomores and five freshmen. Karelus has recorded more than 500 career kills and nearly 100 blocks in three seasons while Dufkova recorded more than 100 digs last season with a 2.01 dig per set average.
The 2026 season starts August 28-29 at the Hall of Fame City Classic hosted by Malone University in Canton, Ohio. The Redhawks will host the Roberts Wesleyan Invitational in the Voller Athletic Center with six matches on September 4-5 featuring Lock Haven University, Georgian Court University and Redeemer University from Canada.
