After going 8-5 overall last season, the Scarlet Raiders are looking to make the leap back to where they were before the 2020 season was canceled when they were 17-1. They still boast the same core with the trio of Arvind Kumar, Justin Tuohy, and Andrew Zaleck. All three players earned All-Conference honors last season while Zaleck is a two-time All-American. Zaleck was second in the CVC last season at 4.17 kills per set while Kumar totaled 118 kills and 83 digs. Tuohy, the team's top setter, averaged 8.17 assists per set and led the league with 33 service aces.

Southern Virginia picked up 56 points in the poll, with two first-place nods. The defending two-time CVC Champion has not lost a conference match since the 2018 season finale, a stretch of 22 matches. The Knights are coached by Tom Peterson and return four starters from last year's team that went 16-4 overall. All eyes rest on three-time All-American Nahuel Recabarren. The senior outside hitter paced the league with 208 kills last spring, hitting .299, and added 59 digs and 27 blocks. Fellow outside hitter Tyler Sheaffer is also back while Tanner Durkin and McKay Walker will hold down the middle. Walker recorded 97 kills and 28 blocks while hitting .377 with Durkin hitting .419 and finishing second in blocks with 41. Setter Kaipo Tagaloa was a Second Team All-Conference pick after leading the conference at 9.59 assists per set. The Knight's depth is improved with the arrival of Kyler Evans, Kristo Puente, and Christian Sheaffer.

Coming in 3rd on the coaches' poll is Juniata College with 53 points and one first-place vote. Head Coach Glenn DeHaven welcomes back 11 players and six starters from last year's squad that was 13-3 overall. Seniors Robert Bowling and Kevin Duffy will look to close out their careers on a high note. Duffy, the reigning CVC Player of the Year, finished with 139 kills last spring and led the conference with a .479 hitting percentage and 1.23 blocks per set. Bowling, a two-time All-Conference player, totaled 136 kills and 31 blocks last season. A third hitter, Tyler Goldsborough, also earned All-Conference honors last season along with Duffy and Bowling. Goldsborough led the Eagles in both kills (146) and digs (90) last season. Setter Reese Ganter shined in his first season running the offense, averaging 8.77 assists per set, and was named the CVC Rookie of the Year. Top newcomers include Jeremiah Burden, Campbell Gerdeman, and Peter Carioto.

Marymount University finished 4th in the poll with 40 total points. The Saints are coached by Dan Liberto and bring back 17 players including every starter. He will lean on senior All-Conference players Miles Olson and Chris Manganiello in 2022. Olson, an outside hitter, topped the team with 110 kills last year while hitting .269 and adding 69 digs. Manganiello, a libero, totaled 83 digs and was named the CVC Libero of the Year in 2021. Hayden Kerekes, a Second Team All-Conference pick last year, finished with 71 kills and 31 blocks while Ervin Harrell, a Third Team pick, was one of three Saints to reach triple-digit kills with 104 and was second on the team with 72 digs. Coach Liberto is expecting a pair of freshmen in William Wright and Luke Pogue to contribute immediately.

Kean University received the final first-place vote and totaled 37 points to come in 5th on the poll. The Cougars were 9-4 overall last season but head coach Charlie Ginex will have to fill several starting positions as just two starters and seven players return. Back for the Cougars are seniors Duncan Beilke and Maxwell Thompson. Beilke, a middle, finished with 25 kills, 30 blocks, and 15 aces while Thompson totaled 27 kills while hitting .233 last spring. Also returning are juniors Luke Frankenfield and Kevin Molina. Both players saw limited action last spring with Frankenfield averaging 7.86 assists per set and Molina hitting .308 in his three matches. Filling out the roster are newcomers Nathan Aguilar, Rahjeem Meulens, and Quincy Rooi.

Randolph-Macon is 6th on the poll with 32 total points. The Yellowjackets were 4-6 overall, but 4-3 in CVC play, making the program's first-ever trip to the CVC tournament. First-year head coach Christian Taylor brings back five starters from last year's squad including the team's top three hitters. Heading up that list is two-time All-Conference outside hitter Kolby Gibson. Gibson, a junior, had 91 kills and 54 digs one year ago. The team's other outside, Jarrett Carrano, finished with 80 kills and 44 digs with 15 blocks. Scotty Carter hit .253 last year and that trio will see plenty of sets from Cade Terrell, who averaged 7.00 assists per set as a freshman. Coach Taylor is looking for freshmen Mitchell Wyatt and Owen Hahn to make an immediate impact.

Finishing 7th on the poll is Elizabethtown College with 21 points. The Blue Jays are coached by Matt Hamilton and return five starters from a team that went 1-7 last spring. Their offense will be much more experienced this spring with their top five hitters returning. Leading the way is Steve Swain, who finished with 75 kills. Blake Hildebrand was second on the team with 54 kills while Tony Camillo had 46 kills and led the team with a .385 hitting percentage and 18 blocks. Nick Chapman and Cheston Jacobs also figure into the hitting rotation. New faces to the program include Kyle McKiernan and Ben Robbins.

With 16 total points, Eastern Mennonite finds themselves 8th on the poll. The Royals are coached by Danielle Lickey and bring back 10 players from last season when they were 0-9 overall. Nate McGhee led the team with 54 kills and 33 digs while David Ward totaled 45 kills as a freshman. Ben Childers, Jacob Durren, and Josh White all reached double-digit kills in just nine matches last spring. Drew Bennett returns after leading the team with 160 assists and 12 aces.