Kentucky volleyball has once again been tabbed as the favorite in the Southeastern Conference.The Wildcats were selected by SEC head coaches to win the league championship for a 10th consecutive season, according to the leagues preseason poll released Wednesday. Kentucky narrowly edged Texas for the top spot, receiving 218 points and nine first-place votes. Texas finished with 216 points and six first-place votes, while Texas AM garnered the remaining first-place vote.All 16 SEC head coaches participated in the voting and were not permitted to vote for their own teams.In addition to topping the preseason poll, Kentucky led the conference with five selections to the Preseason All-SEC Team. Lizzie Carr, Brooklyn DeLeye, Morgan Gaerte, Kassie OBrien and Molly Tuozzo were each recognized among the leagues top returning players.DeLeye headlines the group after earning 2024 SEC Player of the Year honors and 2025 AVCA First Team All-America recognition. The outside hitter is a three-time All-SEC selection.OBrien enters her sophomore season after a standout freshman campaign that included AVCA National Freshman of the Year honors, AVCA Second Team All-America recognition and First Team All-SEC accolades.Tuozzo, Kentuckys libero, was named the 2025 SEC Tournament MVP and earned AVCA Third Team All-America honors. She is also a two-time All-SEC selection.Carr, a middle blocker, earned Second Team All-SEC honors in 2025 and was named to the NCAA Lexington Regional All-Tournament Team. She recorded eight matches with double-digit kills last season.Gaerte joins the Wildcats after transferring from Notre Dame. The opposite hitter was a First Team All-ACC selection in 2025 and averaged 4.64 kills per set for the Fighting Irish.Kentuckys five preseason selections were the most of any SEC program. Texas and Florida each placed two players on the 15-member team.The SEC will again utilize a single round-robin schedule in 2026, with every team playing one match against each conference opponent. Following the regular season, the SEC Volleyball Tournament will be held in Savannah, Georgia. The tournament champion will receive the conferences automatic berth into the 2026 NCAA Volleyball Championship.The Wildcats enter the season seeking another SEC title as they attempt to extend one of the conferences most dominant streaks, having been projected to finish atop the league standings for a decade running.For more on Kentucky Volleyball and all of the Wildcats, join us onBBN Tonight, airing weeknights at 7:30 p.m. on the official station for UK Athletics, LEX 18. ...read more read less