Defending Champions Middlebury Leads 2026 IWLCA Division III Preseason Poll

By IWLCA Admin, 1/19/26, 10:22AM ET

Photo courtesy of the IWLCA.

Defending Champions Middlebury Leads 2026 IWLCA Division III Preseason Poll

NORTHBOROUGH, Mass.— Powerhouse Middlebury College opens the season atop the Division III Preseason rankings and looks to continue its dominance on the national stage. Led by head coach Kate Livesay, the Panthers enter the year in pursuit of a fifth consecutive national championship.

Tufts claims the No. 2 spot following last season’s national finals appearance. Colby and Gettysburg, both coming off Final Four runs, earn the No. 3 and No. 4 rankings, respectively, while Wesleyan rounds out the Top 5.

The regular season IWLCA Division III Coaches Polls are set to be released weekly at 10 a.m., beginning on Monday, March 2.  

1 Middlebury
2 Tufts
3 Colby
4 Gettysburg
5 Wesleyan
6 Franklin & Marshall
7 York College (PA)
8 Salisbury
9 Washington and Lee
10 Denison
11 St. John Fisher
12 William Smith
13 Pomona-Pitzer
14 Amherst
15 Stevens
16 TCNJ
17 Rowan
18 Haverford
19 Babson
20 Trinity  
21 Chicago
22 Colorado College
23 Ithaca
24 Messiah
25 Scranton
RV Sewanee, John Carroll