Springfield, Mass. – January 13, 2026 – For the first time since the 2021 season, the Springfield College men's volleyball team will open the campaign ranked first in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division III National Poll. 

Since the AVCA began the Division III poll in 1996 – a span of 404 total rankings – Springfield has been in the top spot 136 times and has appeared in all 404 polls. Springfield is the only Division III men's volleyball program to be ranked in every AVCA Division III national poll and has been number one more than anyone else in the country. Only Springfield and Juniata have been ranked first over 100 times.

Springfield also enters the 2026 season first in the FrogJump rankings. 

Led by head coach Charlie Sullivan, who enters his 28th season at the helm of the Pride – Springfield will open its 2026 campaign this weekend in California before returning home for its Division III opener at Baruch on January 23. Sullivan has totaled 543 wins since 1999 – as he sits ninth all-time in men's volleyball coaches across all divisions for most wins. Among active coaches, Sullivan is second only behind Penn State's Mark Pavlik, who has 696 victories to his name.

A season ago, Springfield reached the NCAA Division III national championship match for the ninth time in program history. The Pride posted a record of 25-5 and earned wins over eight nationally-ranked programs.

This year, Springfield will be guided by senior All-Americans Dylan Mulvaney (Reston, Va.), Carter Durivage (East Greenbush, N.Y.) and Jake DesLauriers (Eastport, N.Y.) as the Pride will look to make a deep postseason run once again. Springfield and Blake Arena is the host site for the 2026 NCAA Division III Men's Volleyball National Championship slated for April 23 and April 25. 

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