BYU picked to repeat as WCC champions in preseason poll

SAN BRUNO, Calif. – The West Coast Conference coaches picked No. 10 BYU women’s volleyball to finish first in league play and named Mary Lake and McKenna Miller to the All-WCC Preseason Team Thursday.

The Cougars are three-time outright defending WCC champs, having won each of the last three seasons with a 16-2 record in conference play. In 2016, BYU advanced to the regional semifinals of the NCAA tournament for the fifth-straight season and finished with an overall record of 29-4.

Lake and Miller are two of five returning starters for the Cougars. Lake, a sophomore libero, was added to the All-WCC Freshman Team in 2016 and finished with 547 total digs and 4.68 digs per set – most all-time in BYU rally-scoring era history. Miller, a sophomore outside hitter, was named the WCC Freshman of the Year, the All-Pacific South Region Freshman of the Year and an AVCA Third-Team All-American in 2016.

Following BYU’s 81 points and nine first-place votes, No. 22-ranked San Diego was picked to finish second in the league with 72 points and one first-place vote. Portland was picked to finish third with 58 points.

The new season kicks off Friday with the 2017 BYU Nike Invitational, as the Cougars host Saint Louis at noon MDT.

2017 WCC Preseason Volleyball Coaches Poll

Team (First-Place Votes) Pts.
1.     BYU (9) 81
2.     San Diego (1) 72
3.     Portland 58
4.     Pacific 50
5.     Santa Clara 48
6.     Pepperdine 47
7.     Saint Mary’s 35
8.     Loyola Marymount 28
9.     Gonzaga 21
10.   San Francisco 14

2017 All-WCC Preseason Volleyball Team

Name Institution Yr. Pos.
Kaity Edwards, San Diego, Jr., MB
Ashlyn Fleming, Pacific, So., MB
Kristen Gengenbacher, San Diego, Sr., S
Jasmine Gross, Pepperdine, So., MB      
Lindsey Knudsen, Saint Mary’s, Jr., OH
Mary Lake, BYU, So., LIB
Kirsten Mead, Santa Clara, Sr., S
McKenna Miller, BYU, So., OH
Savannah Slattery, Loyola Marymount, So., OH
Hannah Troutman, Portland, Sr., OH