Defending Continental Volleyball Conference (CVC) Tournament champions, Rutgers University-Newark are the 2016 CVC preseason favorites as voted on by conference coaches. Rutgers-Newark received 47 total points in the poll including five first-place votes. Rutgers-Newark swept their way to the CVC Tournament title last spring, their first year in the conference. Head Coach Pedro Trevino returns all six starters from last year's squad that finished 22-10 overall and advanced to the NCAA Division III National Tournament Quarterfinals. Leading the way for the Scarlet Raiders is middle hitter Cody Chidsey, the 2015 CVC Player of the Year and an AVCA Second Team All-American. Chidsey finished with a league best 345 kills last season, thanks in large part to the setting of senior Kevin McCandless. McCandless led the CVC in assists last season and was named the CVC Tournament MVP. Also back are All-Conference libero senior Quocmy Nguyen as well as outside hitters Travis Mintzer and Jack Fredricks, who each earned All-Tournament team honors. The Scarlet Raiders will look to work newcomers Brendon Frank and Marcus Molina into their rotation.

Juniata College was picked second in the poll with 37 points, receiving one first-place vote. In his first full season as head coach Patrick Shawaryn guided the Eagles to a 24-5 overall record and returns 10 players from last year's team, albeit just two starters. Those two starters are senior middle blockers Chad Albert and Kyle Seeley. Albert was named AVCA Second Team All-American last year after hitting .418 with 77 total blocks. Seeley finished with over 150 kills from his position, totaling 87 blocks. The Eagles will turn to senior setter Ryan Shelton to run their potent offensive attack. Shelton saw action in 14 matches last year and averaged 8.28 assists per set during his limited action. Juniata will have to replace a pair of All-Americans in Joe Bortak and Paul Kuhn as well as two time CVC All-Tournament MVP Matt Elias. The youthful Eagles welcome in freshman outside hitter Quinn Peterson and will rely on the return of junior libero Brendan Smith, who is back after taking one year away from the court.

Marymount University and Stevenson University tied for third in the preseason poll with 35 total points. Marymount also picked up the final first-place vote from the coaches. The Saints, coached by Hudson Bates, finished last year 14-20 overall and return 10 players including all six starters. The Saints will once again be a young team, with no seniors and just two juniors, however their core of eight sophomores gained plenty of experience last year. Among those key sophomores are Graham Clark and TJ Wiechecki. Clark, a middle blocker, earned All-Tournament team honors last year while opposite Wiechecki was named the 2015 CVC Newcomer of the Year after finishing second in the league in kills with 325. Also back is team captain, junior middle blockers Tomasz Ksiazkiewicz.

Stevenson University finished 2015 with a 19-14 overall record and won the program's third ECAC Championship in the past five years. The Mustangs return 11 players and three starters from last year's squad that advanced to the CVC Tournament Championship match. Head Coach Steve Grossnickle will rely on a trio of seniors in Nathan Ellis, Kyle Pittieger, and Patrick Schuyler. Ellis, a middle blocker, finished with over 200 kills and over 100 blocks last season. Pottieger, another middle blocker, totaled 197 kills and 22 services aces while Schuyler, an outside hitter, recorded 268 kills and 193 digs. The Mustangs will have to replace a pair of All-Conference performers in David Moler and Kyle Wisner but bring in a strong group of freshman that should see action. Among those freshman are outside hitters Landon Shorts and Philip White and opposite Jason Gardner.

Eastern Mennonite University was picked fifth in the poll, with 21 total points. The Royals went 14-10 overall last season, their best season since 2007. Head Coach Dominick Porter returns six players and four starters. Scott Brigham, a junior outside hitter, is the team's leading returning hitter; totaling 221 kills last season. Daniel Lutz, a sophomore middle blocker, showed well in his first year hitting .356 with 67 total blocks. Sophomores Tim Callahan, second on the team in kills with 191, and libero Micah Buller, team leader in digs, are also back for the Royals. The team will look to newcomers Christian Taylor and William Ragland to battle for time on the court. Taylor, a freshman setter, is an All-State performer from Virginia, while Ragland, is a sophomore outside hitter that transfers in from Carthage College.

Thiel College was 11-14 overall last year in head coach Adam Roche's first season and received 13 total points in the preseason poll, finishing sixth. The Tomcats bring back eight players from last year's team that advanced to the CVC Tournament. Returning starters Regan Hess and Zach Rombach will be counted on to provide leadership for a young team that lost three time All-Conference performer Michael Whitelock and libero Colin Vitale. Hess, a junior middle blocker, was second on the team in total blocks last year with 87 while Rombach, a junior setter, led the team in assists with 413.

Cairn University received eight total points and welcomes in a new head coach in Deborah Schendel. Schendel coached the Highlanders women's team this past fall before adding duties on the men's side. The Highlanders went 11-16 overall last season and bring back four players and two starters from last year's team. Despite the inexperience, two of the returning players were among their top four hitters last season. Sophomore outside hitter Andy Willits finished second on the team with 184 kills while sophomore outside hitter Micah Godshall was fourth on the team with 122 kills and added 46 service aces. The Highlanders will look to freshman Matt Gump to make an immediate impact on the court.