BRIDGEWATER, N.J. — For the second consecutive season, the Long Island University women's volleyball team was selected to finish first in the NEC Preseason Poll on Thursday, voted on by head coaches from around the conference. 

LIU garnered six first-place votes in the poll, while FDU and the University of New Haven each received one first-place vote. Behind LIU in the poll was, in order, FDU, Mercyhurst University, Central Connecticut State University, New Haven and Stonehill College (tied), Le Moyne College, and Chicago State University. 

This year's LIU roster features a plethora of returning student-athletes, including First-Team All-NEC selections in senior outside hitter Sara van Gisteren, senior middle blocker Yasmeen Muhammad, and junior libero Miabella Musignac, the latter of which was the 2025 NEC Defensive Player of the Year. Second-Team All-NEC selection and outside hitter Bella Correia returns for her junior season. 

In his first season as head coach of the Sharks, Tony Trifonov guided LIU to a 20-9 overall record, posting a 15-1 record in conference matchups en route to the program's first regular season championship in the Sharks era of the program, and the program's 12th overall regular season championship.  

In the 2025 NEC Women's Volleyball Tournament, LIU defeated Mercyhurst 3-0 in the semifinals before taking down Saint Francis University 3-1 in the title game, securing LIU's NEC-leading 13th conference tournament championship in program history. van Gisteren received NEC All-Tournament Team and MVP honors, while Musignac and Karly Klaer were named to the All-Tournament Team. 

With the NEC Tournament championship secured, LIU advanced to the NCAA Women's Volleyball Tournament for the second time in the past three seasons, matching up against top-seeded University of Nebraska in the first round.