PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The Little East Conference recently released their Fall 2026 Preseason Coaches Polls and the Owls' rankings were highlighted by both cross country teams and field hockey seeing high selections, led by the men's cross country team being predicted to repeat as LEC champions for the third consecutive season.

After the Owls' dominant performance in the 2025 LEC championship on home soil, the men's cross country team was selected by LEC coaches to earn their third consecutive title with 63 points (first place votes) in the rankings. The University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth finished in second with 48 points (one first place vote), while Eastern Connecticut State University was close behind with 47 points (one first place vote) to round out the top three. The Owls return all four of their top 20 finishers from last year's LEC title, including LEC individual champion and eventual NCAA qualifier, Tyler Bolaske, along with Griffin Urnezis (second place), Nick Terranova (fifth place), and Ben Tetu (16th place). The Owls kick off their 2026 season at the Vermont State Castleton Invitational on Saturday, September 5, at 10:45 AM, while this year's LEC championship will also take place at Castleton on Saturday, October 31, at a time TBA.

The women's cross country team was selected to finish second in the preseason polls with 58 points and two first place votes, right behind Plymouth State University in first place with 63 points and seven first place votes. The Owls will be led by junior Kallie Warner after her First Team All-LEC finish last season from her seventh-place finish in cross country and after securing first place in the 10,000 meter just a few months ago at the LEC outdoor track and field championships. Three other top 20 finishers from the Owls return for the 2026 season, as Ava Fortin (15th place), Ellie Tighe (16th place), and Maya Wedge (19th place) return for their junior, sophomore, and senior seasons, respectively. The Owls kick off their 2026 season at the Vermont State Castleton Invitational on Saturday, September 5, at 10:00 AM, while this year's LEC championship will also take place at Castleton on Saturday, October 31, at a time TBA.

The Owls' cross country teams were both represented in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Preseason Regional Rankings recently. Following the men's eighth place finish at the NCAA Regional Championship a year ago, the Owls entered the Northeast Region preseason rankings as number eight, while the women's side placed 11th of 33 teams last season at the NCAA Regional Championships, and now sit at number 10 in the preseason rankings.

The 2026 season for the Owls marks the first season with Leslie Smith leading the Owls' field hockey program following Amy Watson's retirement after 36 years, leading the team to 16 LEC championships. The Owls will look to complete the three-peat this upcoming fall after securing back-to-back championships in 2025 thanks to Meagan Daileanes' lone goal in the Owls' 1-0 win over ECSU. The Owls were picked to finish second in the 2026 preseason poll with 44 points and three first place votes, just one point behind ECSU who earned 45 points and four first place votes. The University of Southern Maine rounded out the top three in the poll close behind the Owls and the Warriors as the Huskies were picked third with 40 points (one first place vote). KSC returns a pair of All-LEC members from their 2025 championship team as Daileanes and Grace Seabury return for their senior seasons. The pair were the second and third leading scorers for the Owls a season ago with Daileanes finishing with 26 points from 11 goals and four assists, while Seabury recorded 25 points from eight goals, while tying for a team-high nine assists. The Owls open their 2026 season on the road taking on Rivier University on Tuesday, September 1, at 5:00 PM before returning for their home opener in their following contest as KSC hosts New England College on Friday, September 4, at 6:00 PM.

KSC's women's soccer team was picked fourth in the preseason poll for 2026, following a strong second place finish in the 2025 LEC regular season and an ECAC championship game appearance to round out last season. ECSU led the preseason poll with 61 points (six first place votes), while USM (52 points, one first place vote) and Western Connecticut State University (51 points, one first place vote) were ranked second and third, respectively. The Owls' returners accounted for 98% of the teams' points last season, which was led by Elizabeth Tschudin with team-highs in each points (23), goals (nine), and assists (five) on her way to her third consecutive All-LEC team selection (first First Team All-LEC selection), an All-ECAC Second Team selection, and a NEWISA New England Third selection from her standout junior season. KSC also returns two more of their three other All-LEC selections from the previous season as midfielder Emily O'Connell and defender Elise Saab return for their senior seasons after their Third Team All-LEC selections. After an exciting trip to Italy over the summer, which saw the Owls go 2-0-0 with a pair of 2-0 victories, KSC kicks off their 2026 campaign on the road at Emerson College on Tuesday, September 1, at 6:00 PM, before returning home for the first Denise Lyons '90 Kickoff Classic on Labor Day weekend with KSC hosting Wentworth Institute University on September 5, and Gordon College on September 6.

The Owls' volleyball team was picked to finish sixth in the preseason polls with 32 points for the 2026 season. Plymouth State University led the way with 63 points (seven first place votes) as the Panthers were picked to repeat, while the UMD was picked second with 57 points (two first place votes). After a 14-14 record last season, the Owls return all but four members of the 2025 team, while adding 10 new members to the program, KSC will look to make a deep run in the LEC tournament and hopefully beyond under Jacob Girard's third season as head coach of the Owls. KSC will head into the 2026 season led by senior Alexis Small, who moved into sixth place in program history for career assists, with 1,971, across her first three seasons, while also tacking on 77 aces in 2025, which ranked tied for the fourth-most in a single season in program history and the ninth-most aces across NCAA Division III on the year. The Owls open their 2026 season at home as the Owls host Worcester State University on Tuesday, September 1, at 6:00 PM.

The men's soccer team was selected to finish seventh with 25 points in the 2026 preseason poll. The University of Massachusetts-Boston was selected to repeat as champions in the polls with 63 points (seven first place votes), while WCSU was selected to finish second with 58 points (two first place points) to round out the top two. The Owls' returners are highlighted by Dorian Wilczynski in the midfield, the lone Owl to start all 17 games in 2025, and Pietro Bergozza on defense for KSC, returning for his sophomore season. The Owls' newcomer class also welcomes 11 new members to the program, from the US and from multiple countries overseas. KSC's season kicks off with three games at home with Colby-Sawyer College visiting Dr. Ron Butcher Field on Tuesday, September 1, at 6:00 PM to open the season, followed by Babson College on Saturday, September 5, and John Jay College on Sunday, September 6, for the Keene State Kickoff Classic.