BYU picked to finish second in WCC Preseason Poll

SAN BRUNO, Calif. – The West Coast Conference coaches picked No. 13 BYU women’s volleyball to finish second in league play and named Amy Boswell to the All-WCC Preseason Team Tuesday.

The Cougars were WCC champs in 2015 with a 16-2 record in league play. BYU advanced to the regional semifinals of the NCAA tournament for a fourth-straight season and finished with an overall record of 28-4.

Boswell is one of four returning starters for Cougar head coach Heather Olmstead. The senior from Aloha, Oregon, was the WCC Defensive Player of the Year, an All-WCC First Team honoree and an AVCA third-team All-American in 2015. She led the WCC in blocks per game (1.41) and hitting percentage (.365) and added 2.61 kills per set.

San Diego was picked to finish first in the league with 78 points while BYU received 68 points for second and Santa Clara was third with 67 points. The Cougars received one first place vote while San Diego had seven and Santa Clara two. 

The 2016 season opens in the Smith Fieldhouse on Friday, Aug. 26, at 7 p.m. MDT against Utah Valley, as the Cougars host the BYU Invitational.

Visit WCCsports.com for the complete preseason poll announcement.

2016 WCC Preseason Volleyball Coaches Poll

Team (First Place Vote) Pts.
1. San Diego (7) 78
2. BYU (1) 68
3. Santa Clara (2) 67
4. Loyola Marymount 59
5. Pepperdine 48
6. Pacific 43
7. Portland 35
8. Saint Mary’s 27
9. Gonzaga 25
10. San Francisco 14

2016 All-WCC Preseason Volleyball Team

Name Institution Yr. Pos.
Amy Boswell, BYU, Sr., MB
Sabrina Clayton, Santa Clara, Sr., OH
Lexi Elman, Pacific, Sr., OH
Kristen Gengenbacher, San Diego, Jr., S
Nikki Hess, Santa Clara, Sr., OH
Lisa Kramer, San Diego, Sr., MB
Jamie Lea, Loyola Marymount, Sr., OH
Kirsten Mead, Santa Clara, Jr., S
Sarah Sponcil, Loyola Marymount, Jr., OH/S
Tarah Wylie, Pepperdine, So., MB