After the University of Central Missouri Jennies volleyball team was picked to repeat as MIAA conference champions, the AVCA coaches voted the Jennies to start the year off ranked No. 5.  CMSU will play eight preseason top-25 ranked teams from this poll, including; No. 1 Concordia-St. Paul, No. 4 Indianapolis, No. 6 Washburn, and No. 7 West Texas A&M.

UCM finished runner-up in the NCAA South Central Regional Tournament last year with a 34-5 overall season record. At 18-2, they won the program its first outright MIAA conference championship since 1999.

Truman State also made the national rankings coming in at No. 25.