MARSHALL, Texas – High expectations continue for the East Texas Baptist University volleyball program as they have been chosen to win the 2026 American Southwest Conference Championship. ETBU has won the last three ASC Tournament Championships and two regular season championships. The ASC coaches and athletic communication directors unanimously chose ETBU as the favorite with 72 points and all 12 first-place votes.
 
American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-Americans Anita Hancock and Lara Hornsby are on the ASC Players to Watch list. Hancock, a senior from Celina, Texas, finished the year with 225 kills and 131 total blocks. Hornsby, a sophomore from Decatur, Texas, had 295 kills, 104 digs, and 24 total blocks. Both were All-ASC First Team, as Hornsby was ASC Co-Freshman of the Year.
 
ETBU went 34-1 in 2025, going 8-0 in the ASC, and won the program's first-ever NCAA Regional Championship. They earned the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament and reached the Elite Eight. They return 12 student-athletes from that team and brought in 12 newcomers for the 2026 season.
 
The new season starts on Friday, September 4, in San Antonio, Texas, against Gustavus Adolphus at 12:00 p.m.