DENVER – The Western Athletic Conference volleyball coaches have selected Hawai'i to win its 16th-straight WAC regular-season crown in 2011. The coaches also voted on the preseason award winners and Hawai'i senior Kanani Danielson was the unanimous pick for WAC Preseason Player of the Year.
The Rainbow Wahine received seven of the eight first-place votes with Utah State earning the other first-place vote. Hawai'i earned 49 total points followed by New Mexico State with 41. Utah State was picked to finish third with 34 points, followed closely by Idaho in fourth with 33 points. Fresno State was picked fifth with 25 points, while Nevada was selected sixth with 20 points. San Jose State and Louisiana Tech rounded out the poll with 14 and eight points, respectively.
Hawai'i is coming off a 29-3 season in 2010 that saw the Rainbow Wahine earn their 15th-consecutive WAC regular-season title with a perfect 16-0 record. Utah State won its first-ever WAC Tournament title with a sweep of Hawai‘i and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2005.
Hawai'i placed the most players on the preseason all-WAC team with four, while New Mexico State and Utah State had three apiece. Joining Danielson on the preseason team are teammates Emily Hartong, Brittany Hewitt and Chanteal Satele, New Mexico State’s Kelsey Brennan, Jennah DeVries and Desiree Scott, Utah State’s Liz McArthur, Shay Sorensen and Josselyn White, Fresno State’s Brianna Clarke and Idaho’s Allison Walker.
Nine of the 12 student-athletes selected to the preseason all-WAC team were named to the 2010 all-WAC teams. Seven members were first team all-WAC honorees a year ago (Brennan, Danielson, DeVries, Hewitt, McArthur, Satele and Walker), while two 2010 second team honorees are on the team (Clarke and Hartong).
The 2011 season begins the weekend of Aug. 26 with all eight teams in action. The 2011 WAC Volleyball Tournament will be held Nov. 21-23 at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas and will include the top six teams in the regular-season standings. The championship match will be televised live on ESPNU.
2011 WAC Preseason Coaches’ Poll
| Rank |
Team |
Points |
| 1 |
Hawai'i (7) |
49 |
| 2 |
New Mexico State |
41 |
| 3 |
Utah State (1) |
34 |
| 4 |
Idaho |
33 |
| 5 |
Fresno State |
25 |
| 6 |
Nevada |
20 |
| 7 |
San Jose State |
14 |
| 8 |
Louisiana Tech |
8 |
2011 Preseason All-WAC Team
| Player |
Yr. |
Pos. |
School |
| Kelsey Brennan |
Sr. |
MH |
New Mexico State |
| Brianna Clarke |
Sr. |
MB |
Fresno State |
| Kanani Danielson |
Sr. |
OH |
Hawai'i |
| Jennah DeVries |
Sr. |
S |
New Mexico State |
| Emily Hartong |
So. |
MB |
Hawai'i |
| Brittany Hewitt |
Jr. |
M |
Hawai'i |
| Liz McArthur |
Sr. |
OH |
Utah State |
| Chanteal Satele |
Sr. |
OH |
Hawai'i |
| Desiree Scott |
So. |
MH |
New Mexico State |
| Shay Sorensen |
Jr. |
OPP |
Utah State |
| Allison Walker |
So. |
OH |
Idaho |
| Josselyn White |
Jr. |
OH |
Utah State |
Preseason Player of the Year: Kanani Danielson, Sr., Hawai'i