Preseason Volleyball Poll, All-WAC Team Announced 8/20/2013 12:00:00 AM DENVER – The Western Athletic Conference volleyball coaches have selected New Mexico State to win the WAC regular-season crown in 2013. The coaches also voted on the preseason award winners and Idaho junior middle blocker Alyssa Schultz was the pick for WAC Preseason Player of the Year.New Mexico State received seven of the first-place votes with Idaho earning the other two. The Aggies earned 62 total points, followed by Idaho with 58. Utah Valley was picked to finish third with 44 points, followed by Seattle U in fourth with 39 points, just ahead of Bakersfield in fifth with 38 and Kansas City in sixth with 35 points. Texas-Pan American, Grand Canyon and Chicago State rounded out the poll with 21, 17 and 10 points, respectively.Idaho placed the most players on the preseason All-WAC team with three, while Bakersfield, New Mexico State and Utah Valley had two apiece. Joining Schultz on the preseason team are teammates Katelyn Peterson and Taylor Wilkinson, Bakersfield’s Debora Araujo and Fernanda Gonçalves, New Mexico State’s Lauren Loerch and Desiree Scott, Utah Valley’s Brookelyn Hall and Lauren Stringham, Emma Hagedorn of Kansas City, Mackenzie Phelps of Grand Canyon, and Martina Samadan of Seattle U.The 2013 season begins the weekend of Aug. 30 with all nine teams in action. The 2013 WAC Volleyball Tournament, hosted by Grand Canyon, will be held Nov. 25-27, at GCU Arena in Phoenix, Ariz., and will include the top six eligible teams in the regular-season standings.2013 Preseason Poll Rank Team (first-place votes) Points 1 New Mexico State (7) 62 2 Idaho (2) 58 3 Utah Valley 44 4 Seattle U 39 5 Bakersfield 38 6 Kansas City 35 7 Texas-Pan American 21 8 Grand Canyon 17 9 Chicago State 10 2013 Preseason All-WAC Team Player Yr. Pos. School Debora Araujo Sr. OH Bakersfield Fernanda Gonçalves Sr. S Bakersfield Emma Hagedorn So. MH Kansas City Brookelyn Hall Sr. S Utah Valley Lauren Loerch Sr. OH New Mexico State Katelyn Peterson So. OH Idaho Mackenzie Phelps Jr. L Grand Canyon Martina Samadan So. MB Seattle U Alyssa Schultz Jr. MB Idaho Desiree Scott Sr. MH New Mexico State Lauren Stringham So. MB Utah Valley Taylor Wilkinson Sr. MB Idaho Preseason Player of the Year: Alyssa Schultz, Idaho