Gardner Earns Preseason All-CUSA Honors; Volleyball Bears Picked Sixth
August 20, 2026 | Women's Volleyball
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DALLAS – Missouri State sophomore Hannah Gardner is a preseason All-Conference USA selection, and the Bears are picked sixth as a team in the league's annual preseason volleyball poll, released Thursday following a vote of the conference coaches.
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Gardner is one of 12 players on the preseason all-conference team and was a CUSA All-Freshman Team selection a season ago.
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The Springfield native started 27 of the Bears' 29 matches last season and finished the year as one of four players nationally in 2025 with at least 180 kills, 480 assists and 210 digs. She recorded a pair of triple-doubles, the first-ever by a freshman at Mo State, and ended the year with four matches of at least 10 kills, nine with 10-plus digs and 24 with at least 10 assists. Gardner also tied for the team lead with 23 aces and tallied 46 blocks.
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Defending regular-season co-champion Western Kentucky is picked to win the league, followed by Liberty with New Mexico State and Kennesaw State tied for third. FIU is up next, with the Bears in sixth, while Delaware, Middle Tennessee, Jacksonville State and Sam Houston round out the poll.
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The Bears went 6-10 in their inaugural CUSA season in 2025 and upset top-seeded and No. 15 RPI-rated UTEP in the opening round of the league tournament.
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The 2026 regular season begins for the Bears Aug. 28-30 at the Shocker Volleyball Classic hosted by Wichita State. Mo State will play Idaho State, Stephen F. Austin and Wichita State at the event.
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After that, Missouri State hosts its lone non-conference tournament of the season, with Little Rock, Indiana State and Northwestern State visiting Springfield for the Dr. Mary Jo Wynn Invitational from Sept. 3-5. The CUSA schedule includes eight weekends of play with two-game series, beginning with a home set against FIU Sept. 25 and 26.
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DALLAS – Missouri State sophomore Hannah Gardner is a preseason All-Conference USA selection, and the Bears are picked sixth as a team in the league's annual preseason volleyball poll, released Thursday following a vote of the conference coaches.
Â
Gardner is one of 12 players on the preseason all-conference team and was a CUSA All-Freshman Team selection a season ago.
Â
The Springfield native started 27 of the Bears' 29 matches last season and finished the year as one of four players nationally in 2025 with at least 180 kills, 480 assists and 210 digs. She recorded a pair of triple-doubles, the first-ever by a freshman at Mo State, and ended the year with four matches of at least 10 kills, nine with 10-plus digs and 24 with at least 10 assists. Gardner also tied for the team lead with 23 aces and tallied 46 blocks.
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Defending regular-season co-champion Western Kentucky is picked to win the league, followed by Liberty with New Mexico State and Kennesaw State tied for third. FIU is up next, with the Bears in sixth, while Delaware, Middle Tennessee, Jacksonville State and Sam Houston round out the poll.
Â
The Bears went 6-10 in their inaugural CUSA season in 2025 and upset top-seeded and No. 15 RPI-rated UTEP in the opening round of the league tournament.
Â
The 2026 regular season begins for the Bears Aug. 28-30 at the Shocker Volleyball Classic hosted by Wichita State. Mo State will play Idaho State, Stephen F. Austin and Wichita State at the event.
Â
After that, Missouri State hosts its lone non-conference tournament of the season, with Little Rock, Indiana State and Northwestern State visiting Springfield for the Dr. Mary Jo Wynn Invitational from Sept. 3-5. The CUSA schedule includes eight weekends of play with two-game series, beginning with a home set against FIU Sept. 25 and 26.
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