C2C Preseason Polls Announced
8/17/2026 10:30:00 AM | Men's Soccer, Women's Cross Country, Women's Volleyball, Women's Soccer, Men's Cross Country
SANTA CRUZ, Ca. - On Monday morning, the C2C began to announce the 2026 C2C Preseason Polls for women's soccer, men's soccer, men's volleyball, women's cross country, and men's cross country.
See below for the release schedule and to find out where the Banana Slugs were picked ahead of the 2026 campaigns:
Release schedule:
WSOC - Monday, August 17
MSOC - Tuesday, August 18
WVB - Wednesday, August 19
WXC - Thursday, August 20
MXC - Friday, August 21
Women's Soccer – T-3rd (32 Points)
The UC Santa Cruz Banana Slugs were selected in a tie for third with Salisbury University in the C2C Women's Soccer Preseason Poll with 32 points. UCSC finished the season with a 1-0 overtime loss in the Conference Championship to the CNU Captains after a 1-0 victory over Mary Washington in the C2C Semifinals. The Banana Slugs lost five players to graduation, including their four All-Conference honorees, but welcome 11 new faces to the squad for the 2026 campaign. Additionally, the Banana Slugs welcome Lauren Nadler back to the helm of the program after serving as the assistant coach last season. Nadler served as the head coach from 2017-2022 and was named the Conference Coach of the Year four times. UC Santa Cruz will be on the road for the majority of the season and is set to take on No. 1 WashU, No. 6 Pomona-Pitzer, and No. 14 Cal Lutheran in key matches throughout the year.
Men's Soccer – 4th (22 Points)
The UC Santa Cruz Banana Slugs were selected fourth with 22 points in the C2C Men's Soccer Preseason Poll. UC Santa Cruz finished the 2025 season 10-7-1, earning a 3-1 victory over JWU in the Conference Quarterfinal before falling 2-0 to CNU in the C2C Semifinals. All-Region honorees Soren Groessl and Michael Braun will return to the 2026 lineup after being key players for the Slugs last season. Groessl led the team with eight goals and two assists, making 14 starts while playing in all 18 contests. Braun returns as a standout defender who helped limit teams to a 0.94 goals against average while also scoring two goals and dishing out three assists on the year. UCSC will welcome six new players to the 2026 roster and is set to take on No. 2 Trinity (Tx.) and RV Texas Lutheran in two key Texas matchups.
Women's Volleyball – 3rd (36 Points)
The UC Santa Cruz Banana Slugs were selected third with 36 points in the C2C Women's Volleyball Preseason Poll. UCSC finished last season third in the C2C with a 3-1 victory over Mary Washington in the Third Place Match and will return All-Conference honorees Kate Lau and Margo Melgoza. Lau was a standout outside hitter who recorded 123 kills on the season while adding 21 aces, 43 assists, and 279 digs. Melgoza facilitated the offense as the leading setter with 562 assists, comfortably surpassing 1,000 assists in her second season with the Slugs. The Banana Slugs welcome six new faces to this year's roster and are set to take on No. 2 University of La Verne, T-24 St. Olaf, No. 15 WashU, RV CMS, No. 18 Christopher Newport, RV Salisbury, No. 6 UW-Eau Claire, and No. 9 Illinois Wesleyan (Final AVCA Rankings from 2025 Season).
Women's Cross Country – 1st (49 Points, Seven First Place Votes)
The UC Santa Cruz Banana Slugs return as the favorite heading into the 2026 campaign. The Banana Slugs are fresh off their fifth consecutive C2C Women's Cross Country title and return the reigning C2C Individual Champion, Elena Stanciu, along with Jordan Robinson, Ryanne Reynolds, and Rosey Harris from the C2C lineup. Fiona Wolf also returns for her second season with the Slugs after a strong top 50 performance at the NCAA West Region Championship and a solid performance at the NCAA Championships. Stanciu and Reynolds also competed at the NCAA Championships and will look like lead five new additions to the roster as the team aims for their sixth straight C2C Title.
Men’s Cross Country – 1st (36 Points, Six First Place Votes)
The UC Santa Cruz Banana Slugs enter the 2026 season as the favorite as they set out to claim their sixth straight C2C Title. The Banana Slugs will look to Camden Jaureguy to lead the way as the senior returns following a standout junior campaign where he earned his first NCAA Championship appearance and took 12th in the NCAA West Region Championship. From the West Region lineup, the Slugs also return Sasha Tanasychuk and Drew Mysliwiec along with C2C competitors Gilbert Fillat, Gavin Hahn, Desi Herrerias, Viktor Kieturakis, Sean Conley, and Caeden Gardner. Additionally, UCSC welcomes six new runners to the 2026 squad.
