Cougars ranked No. 9 in preseason poll

PROVO, Utah – The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) ranked BYU women’s volleyball No. 9 in the nation in the preseason poll, which was released Monday.

BYU finished the season ranked No. 13 last year after reaching the regional semifinals of the 2013 NCAA tournament for the second-consecutive year. The Cougars went 24-7 overall and 15-3 in West Coast Conference play.

With 924 points, BYU is one of two WCC teams in the preseason top 25. The other, San Diego, earned 628 points for a No. 14 ranking.

Washington, the Cougars’ first home opponent, is ranked No. 4 with 1280 total points. BYU also plays Colorado State, who is ranked No. 18.

Penn State was named No. 1 heading into the season, following an NCAA tournament championship last year, with 32 first-place votes. The Nittany Lions were followed by Texas at No. 2 and Stanford at No. 3.