We reveal our preseason Top 25 for the 2026 D-III college season, starting with #16-25!
January 14, 2026 by Ultiworld in Rankings
Ultiworld’s College Power Rankings, presented by the National Ultimate Training Camp!
We are excited to present the 2026 preseason College Power Rankings! As we head into a new season, we’ve looked at past performance, roster changes, preseason results, and more to figure out how we think the team could stack up this season. Take a look at our first rankings set of the spring college season and read up about each Top 25 team.
We will be counting down our rankings in three parts:
D-III Women’s
Contributions from Theresa Diffendal, Zack Davis, and TJ Lee
16. Portland UPRoar
2025 Finish: #19 in Power Rankings, 4th at Northwest ConfRegionals, 13-11 record
After winning it all at the end of the JJ Galian era in 2024, UPRoar missed out on Nationals last year for the first time since 2018. This year is lining up to be an entirely different story. Despite Audrey Stineman graduating among five others, captains Hayden Ashley and Annalise Korch are returning for their senior season. Ashley, the Second Runner-Up DPOTY in 2024, was instrumental in their eventual championship run. Additionally, UPRoar look to help energize their roster with rookie Lucy Perez.
17. Michigan Tech Superior Ma’s
2025 Finish: #12 in Power Rankings, 3rd at North Central ConfRegionals, 12-7 record
Michigan Tech had a very respectable run last year, losing to Carleton in the game-to-go by only two. With All-Region first teamers Haniya Frayer and Harlo Plendl leading the charge, look for Superior Ma’s to have another strong season, concluding with a very competitive North Central ConfRegionals showdown.
18. Union Jillz
2025 Finish: #17 in Power Rankings, 12th at Nationals, 12-6 record
Union Jillz will be looking for some new names on the roster to step up and take the team to the Nationals stage again. MollieKay Grubbs who put up 4G/16A/8D at Nationals last season was among the seven players that graduated last spring. On the bright side Anna Forbes, who double-doubled with 11G/6A/10D, will be returning. In addition, the Jillz have some solid down-roster talent in Kelsi Jones, Sarah Skinner, and Lindsey Dismukes.
19. Puget Sound Clearcut
2025 Finish: #18 in Power Rankings, 15th at Nationals, 9-14 record
Clearcut returned to Nationals last year for the first time since 2021, an effort largely led by now junior Hayes Freeman. In addition to Freeman’s handling efforts, Claire Bargman had a great showing as a rookie, with 13 blocks to go along with her seven goals and six assists. What’s most exciting about Clearcut is that last year they were a very young squad, mostly composed of sophomores. Hopefully Clearcut can build off the success of last year and return to Nationals in 2026.
20. Oberlin Preying Manti
2025 Finish: N/A in Power Rankings, 8th at Ohio Valley Regionals, 1-16 record
On its face, it’s a stretch to include a team that only won a single game in 2025 among the top teams heading into the 2026 season. And yet, we’re that hyped about their talent this year. Most of the credit for that falls to Miya Liang, who played club for Pittsburgh Parcha last year, racking up the second-most goals on the team at Nationals. Complemented by the throwing prowess of senior Eliana Moorhead and Sofia Slack, alongside the speedy defensive talents of junior Angel Ma, and it all adds up to make Oberlin our surprise pick of the preseason.
21. Richmond Redhots
2025 Finish: #14 in Power Rankings, 13th at Nationals, 15-8 record
After back-to-back Nationals appearances, the Redhots just might cool off a little in 2026. They graduate over a full line of players, including their highest-volume scorer Emma Alatzas and top block-getter Arianna Kightlinger. But budding stars remain in Kiera Linnane and Lucy Sevetson, who have been primed to take up Alatzas’ throwing mantle, and All-Region selection Jolie Martin, a junior cutter, should be Richmond’s favorite target alongside the skying prowess of Catie Geraghty. The Redhots’ main regional competition, Davidson and Catholic, don’t seem to be going through the same growing pains, but they also couldn’t come close to Richmond last year. The margins may be tighter, but Richmond retains enough talent that Nationals is still well within their sights.
22. Claremont Greenshirts
2025 Finish: #21 in Power Rankings, 16th at Nationals, 11-16 record
Claremont’s path to Nationals is, as it always seems to be, relatively straightforward: beat Occidental twice in a set of three games in the postseason. But the ease of their path belies the effort put in, as the Greenshirts attended four regular season tournaments last year, taking advantage of the plethora of California competition to get reps against D-I and D-III teams alike. That work ethic, paired with the loss of just one player from their 2025 Nationals roster and the purported influx of some rookies with YCC experience, should see them not only return to Nationals, but improve on their last-place finish.
23. Grinnell Grinneleanor Roosevelts
2025 Finish: #22 in Power Rankings, 4th at North Central ConfRegionals, 3-8 record
After playing just one regular season tournament in 2025, Grinnell appeared on the cusp of yet another surprise Nationals appearance as they faced Michigan Tech in the North Central game-to-go. Though they fell short in 2025, with North Central’s infamy as arguably the deepest region in D-III women’s, that should mean plenty of bids to go around again this season. With the Roosevelts only graduating three players and returning their 2024 Nationals leading scorer, Claire Torgelson, for a senior hurrah, Grinnell should be counted among the top darkhorses with a shot at a trip to Indiana.
24. Lehigh Gravity
2025 Finish: #25 in Power Rankings, 3rd at Ohio Valley Regionals, 15-17 record
It feels like every year we hope Lehigh will be in the mix to earn a second bid for the Ohio Valley. Gravity seemed to be on that track last year when they overcame Haverford/Bryn Mawr at an early tournament in 2025, but faltered down the stretch and skidded to third in the region behind the surprise story of D-III last season, Kenyon. The obstacles are just as high in 2026, but the injection of experienced rookies Maddie Schofield and Adia Fallon alongside returners like All-Region selection Jessica Fiske and senior handler Lauren Durant should see Gravity at least make it back to the game-to-go, if not Nationals for the first time since 2022.
25. Trinity Altitude
2025 Finish: N/A in Power Rankings, 3rd at South Central ConfRegionals, 10-12 record
Let’s address the elephant in the room: Trinity has never made the College Championships, and last season was the first in which they posted a non-winning record since the 2018 season. But it appears that two of their 2025 All-Region nods still have eligibility in the form of Trinity Chapa and Allison Waters. They’ll have an uphill battle against their fellow South Central teams, Nationals-conditioned Rice and Nationals-hungry Colorado College, for what will likely be just a single bid to the Big Dance, but if they continue with their impressive slate of regular season tournaments, there’s a strong chance they’ll be ready for takeoff come regionals.
D-III Men’s
Contributions from Hunter Lang, Calvin Ciorba, and Josh Katz
16. Rochester Piggies
2025 Finish: #9 in Power Rankings, 5T at Nationals, 19-8 record
Coming off their most successful Nationals in program history, Rochester will most likely take a step down in 2026. O-line driver David Leder is gone, leaving Cameron Lowe and Timothy Loftus with massive shoes to fill. Still, with the Metro East talent regressing back to the mean, don’t count the Flower City squad out to make a fourth straight Nationals appearance.
17. Macalester Flat Earth
2025 Finish: NR in Power Rankings, N/A at Nationals, 16-14 record
Let’s try this again. We called for the rise of Flat Earth last year, led by Kyle and Owen Suelflow, and that prediction flopped. But the Suelflows are another year older, and each had another fantastic club season for Minneapolis Drag’n Thrust in 2025. With a trio of promising rookies joining, it’s Macalester’s time for a Nationals run.
18. UNC Asheville Mudpuppy
2025 Finish: #24 in Power Rankings, N/A at Nationals, 12-7 record
UNC-Asheville have had the misfortune of playing in what’s been a brutal Atlantic Coast region for the last decade. As a defense-first squad of athletes, expect them to be a thorn in the side of not only their regional opponents but the rest of the division’s top teams.
19. Puget Sound Postmen
2025 Finish: #22 in Power Rankings, N/A at Nationals, 13-10 record
Not much is known yet about the 2026 Puget Sound roster, but we liked what we saw from the Postmen in 2025. If stars Sahaj Olivar and Nathan Ludington can help develop depth and take advantage of weaker Lewis & Clark and Whitman squads at regionals, the Postmen have a shot at their first Nationals berth since 2018.
20. Davidson DUFF
2025 Finish: #23 in Power Rankings, N/A at Nationals, 14-10 record
It’s crunch time for Davidson, whose senior class have lost in the game-to-go the last two years. Wes Smail, Josh Matushak, and John Ready bring lots of talent along with legendary coach Ken Porter, but can DUFF’s depth step up this year? Earning a bid will be imperative in a deep region if Davidson wants to earn a Nationals spot for the first time since 2017.
21. Berry Bucks
2025 Finish: #16 in Power Rankings, 15th at Nationals, 20-8 record
Here’s a sneaky fun fact – Berry holds the second-longest Nationals streak, qualifying every year since 2019. With Ave Maria back in the mix and the loss of star Ian VanOrder as well as Coach Walter Ellard, this streak is in jeopardy. The Bucks will need strong performances from junior Eli Hoshide and senior Mikey Curtis if they want to book a trip to Waukegan.
22. Brandeis TRON
2025 Finish: NR in Power Rankings, N/A at Nationals, 17-10 record
TRON have stuck around the bottom third of the power rankings for a few years now, not having broken through to Nationals since 2022. If they want to make the leap and challenge in a stacked New England region, they’ll need freshman WJUC tryoutee Nathaniel Friedman to look like a future star, and continuing improvements from program veterans like Lars Kovamees and Noah Baumann.
23. Hillsdale Chargers
2025 Finish: #18 in Power Rankings, 13th at Nationals, 14-11 record
Absolutely no one predicted Hillsdale to make Nationals in 2025. Yet, with a lucky extra bid from Asbury, the Chargers not only qualified for Nationals, but also won the 13th place bracket. They return to the Great Lakes with a region title in mind this year and will look to the Hamilton brothers to lead the way.
24. Lipscomb Bisons
2025 Finish: NR in Power Rankings, N/A at Nationals, 7-7 record
Lipscomb were the surprise team of the division in the first half of 2025, putting themselves on the map with a blowout victory over Missouri S&T and a close defeat to Berry to start the season. But they played just one tournament afterwards, and sat out the Series entirely. With little information about their roster outlook, anything is on the table for Lipscomb in 2026.
25. Missouri S&T Miner Threat
2025 Finish: #12 in Power Rankings, 11th at Nationals, 26-12 record
Missouri S&T has been one of the most consistent teams in the division for a little over half a decade. But with losing almost all of their contributors from last season, they face a long road back to Nationals. They secure the last spot in our rankings due to their ability to seemingly create talent out of nowhere year after year.
