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NM STATE FAVORED IN WAC PRESEASON POLL
The WAC volleyball coaches selected NM State to win the WAC regular-season crown in 2016 as the Aggies received six of the first-place votes and 48 total points to earn the top spot in the poll. CSU Bakersfield earned one first-place vote and 38 total points, followed by Seattle U with one first-place vote and 34 points in third place. UMKC was picked to finish fourth with 31 points, followed by Utah Valley in fifth with 27 points. UT Rio Grande Valley was picked sixth with 24 points, while Grand Canyon and Chicago State round out the poll with 15 and seven points, respectively.\
PRESEASON ALL-WAC
Aggie junior middle hitter Sasha-Lee Thomas was the pick for WAC Preseason Player of the Year. NM State placed the most players on the preseason All-WAC team with four, while UMKC had three, and CSU Bakersfield and UT Rio Grande Valley had two apiece. Joining Thomas on the preseason team are teammates Jordan Abalos, Brianna Ainsworth and Tatyana Battle, UMKC's Kaylyn Brandt, Emma Hagedorn and Madison Mosier, CSU Bakersfield's Carol Grasso and Sydney Haynes, UT Rio Grande Valley's Bojana Mitrovic and Alisha Watson, Grand Canyon's Natalie Tardy, Seattle U's Matea Mamic and Utah Valley's Madison Dennison.
2016 PERSONNEL CAPSULE
Seven of the eight schools return at least three of their starters from last year for the 2016 campaign. UT Rio Grande Valley returns six of seven starters, while Grand Canyon and Seattle U return five. The Lopes return 10 letterwinners, while CSU Bakersfield, Seattle U and UTRGV return eight apiece. The following is a breakdown of each team's letterwinners returning and lost and starters returning and lost.
| Team |
LR |
LL |
SR |
SL |
| CSU Bakersfield |
8 |
7 |
4 |
3 |
| Chicago State |
4 |
5 |
3 |
4 |
| Grand Canyon |
10 |
5 |
5 |
2 |
| UMKC |
6 |
8 |
1 |
6 |
| NM State |
7 |
10 |
3 |
4 |
| Seattle U |
8 |
5 |
5 |
2 |
| UT Rio Grande Valley |
8 |
4 |
6 |
1 |
| Utah Valley |
7 |
6 |
4 |
3 |
2016 WAC TOURNAMENT
The 2016 WAC Volleyball Tournament will be held Nov. 17-19 at the Pan American Center in Las Cruces, N.M., and will include the top six eligible teams in the regular-season standings.
2016 WAC TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Thursday, Nov. 17 (First Round)
Match 1 - No. 6 seed vs. No. 3 seed, 5 p.m.
Match 2 - No. 5 seed vs. No. 4 seed, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 18 (Semifinals)
Match 3 - Winner Match 1 vs. No. 2 seed, 5 p.m.
Match 4 - Winner Match 2 vs. No. 1 seed, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 19 (Championship)
Match 5 - Winner Match 3 vs. Winner Match 4, 7 p.m.
TOP STAT LEADERS
In hitting efficiency, four of the top 10 hitters are back, led by Utah Valley's Madison Dennison (.345), who ranked third a year ago. NM State's Sasha-Lee Thomas (.336), who ranked fifth last year, also returns. The remaining leaders are UMKC's Madison Mosier (.310, ninth) and UT Rio Grande Valley's Alexandra Ecker (.285, 10th).
Just three of the top 10 kill leaders return, led by UTRGV's Bojana Mitrovic, who last year led the WAC with 4.30 kills per set, while Grand Canyon's Natalie Tardy was fifth, averaging 2.94. Seattle U's Matea Mamic is the only other returning kill leader in eighth with a 2.86 average.
Eight of the top assist leaders from last season return for the 2016 campaign, led by Seattle U's Kerry Lane, who finished last season ranked second in the WAC with 9.99 assists per set. Also returning are UTRGV's Dubravka Vukoja (9.16, third), Utah Valley's Sierra Starley (8.76, fourth), Chicago State's Corey Davis (7.23, fifth), Grand Canyon's Michelle Steagall (6.52, sixth) and Randahl Powers (6.45, seventh), UMKC's Kaylyn Brandt (6.24, eighth) and NM State's Brianna Ainsworth (6.14, ninth).
Five of the top 10 servers return, led by Mamic in second place with 0.40. UTRGV's Alisha Watson was third with 0.36, followed by Starley in fourth (0.34) and Seattle U's Iris Ivanis in fifth (0.32). Rounding out the group is NM State's Jordan Abalos in 10th (0.26).
Four of the top blockers return, led by Dennison, who ranked fourth in the WAC with 1.10 blocks per set, followed by Thomas in fifth (0.91). The remaining block returners are Seattle U's Maja Stojanovic (0.88, seventh) and Utah Valley's Kiahna Vernon (0.84, eighth).
Six of the top 10 dig leaders return for the 2016 season, led by Chicago State's Shontanae Addison in third place with 3.30 digs per set. Abalos was fourth (3.05), followed by Ivanis (3.30). Rounding out the group are UTRGV's Fatoumata Dacosta (2.93, seventh), CSU Bakersfield's Carol Grasso (2.92, eighth) and NM State's Kaylee Neal (2.89, ninth).
Two of the top 10 point leaders from a year ago return, including last year's leader, UTRGV's Mitrovic (4.82). Also returning is Seattle U's Mamic, who ranked fifth (3.56).
RETURNING ALL-CONFERENCE PLAYERS
Of the seven first team All-WAC players in 2014, two return for the 2016 season - UMKC's Madison Mosier and UT Rio Grande Valley's Bojana Mitrovic. Two of the seven second team honorees return, including CSU Bakersfield's Carol Grasso, Seattle U's Matea Mamic and Preseason Player of the Year Sasha-Lee Thomas of NM State.
Five of the six All-Freshman Team honorees from a year ago return - Brianna Ainsworth and Tatyana Battle of NM State, Alexandra Ecker and Dubravka Vukoja of UTRGV and Maja Stojanovic of Seattle U.
2016 NCAA TOURNAMENT INFORMATION
The NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship bracket (64-team field) will be announced Sunday, Nov. 27. First & Second Round competition will be held Dec. 1-3 on 16 campus sites. At each campus site, four teams will compete in single-elimination competition. The two winning teams then compete against each other in second round competition at the same campus site. The winning team from each of the 16 second rounds advances to the Regionals, which will be held Dec. 9-10 at four non-predetermined sites. At each site, four teams compete in Regional Semifinal competition. The two winning teams then compete against each other in Regional Final competition at the same site. The winning team from each of the four Regionals will advance to the championship final site in Columbus, Ohio. The 2016 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship will be held at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. The National Semifinals will be held Dec. 15 and the National Championship will take place Dec. 17.