WAC Coaches Select NM State, Davison as Preseason Favorites
DENVER – The Western Athletic Conference volleyball coaches selected NM State to win the WAC regular-season crown this spring. The coaches also voted on the preseason award winners and NM State junior outside hitter Savannah Davison earned the nod for WAC Preseason Player of the Year.
Coming off back-to-back WAC Tournament Championships, the Aggies received eight of the nine first-place votes and 64 total points to earn the top spot in the poll. Grand Canyon earned the remaining first-place vote to finish in second place with 55 points, followed by UT Rio Grande Valley which slid into third with 48 points. California Baptist picked up 42 points as they were selected fourth while UT Rio Grande Valley finished closely behind with 40 points to claim fifth. Dixie State, Tarleton and Seattle U each collected 21 points to form a three-way tie for sixth while Chicago State rounded out the poll with 12 points.
NM State and Grand Canyon had the most players named to the preseason All-WAC team as both squads garnered three spots. Joining Davison on the preseason team are fellow Aggies Julianna Salanoa and Lia Mosher, Grand Canyon's Kaira Moss, Klaire Mitchell and Annabelle Kubinski, Utah Valley's Kazna Tarawhiti and Seren Jardine, UT Rio Grande Valley's Sarah Cruz and Samaret Caraballo, California Baptist's Sydney Marks and Christine Graf and Seattle U's Eve Kerschenbaum and Tijana Milojevic.
Spring 2021 Preseason Coaches' Poll
|
Rank
|
Team (first-place votes)
|
Points
|
|
1.
|
NM State (8)
|
64
|
|
2.
|
Grand Canyon (1)
|
55
|
|
3.
|
UT Rio Grande Valley
|
48
|
|
4.
|
California Baptist
|
42
|
|
5.
|
Utah Valley
|
40
|
|
T6.
|
Dixie State
|
21
|
|
T6.
|
Tarleton
|
21
|
|
T6.
|
Seattle U
|
21
|
|
9.
|
Chicago State
|
12
|
Spring 2021 Preseason All-WAC Team
|
Player
|
Yr.
|
Pos.
|
School
|
|
Sarah Cruz
|
Jr.
|
OH
|
UT Rio Grande Valley
|
|
Samaret Caraballo
|
Sr.
|
L/OH
|
UT Rio Grande Valley
|
|
Savannah Davison
|
Jr.
|
OH
|
NM State
|
|
Christine Graf
|
So.
|
OH
|
California Baptist
|
|
Seren Jardine
|
Sr.
|
DS/L
|
Utah Valley
|
|
Eve Kerschenbaum
|
Jr.
|
OH
|
Seattle U
|
|
Annabelle Kubinski
|
Jr.
|
MB
|
Grand Canyon
|
|
Sydney Marks
|
Sr.
|
MB
|
California Baptist
|
|
Tijana Milojevic
|
Sr.
|
L
|
Seattle U
|
|
Klaire Mitchell
|
So.
|
S
|
Grand Canyon
|
|
Lia Mosher
|
Jr.
|
MH
|
NM State
|
|
Kaira Moss
|
Jr.
|
MB
|
Grand Canyon
|
|
Julianna Salanoa
|
Sr.
|
MH
|
NM State
|
|
Kazna Tarawhiti
|
Jr.
|
OH
|
Utah Valley
|
Preseason Player of the Year: Savannah Davison, NM State