Northern Arizona Unanimous Favorite in #BigSkyVB Coaches Poll
FARMINGTON, Utah (August 16, 2019) – The Northern Arizona volleyball team was selected to repeat as league champions in the preseason coaches’ poll. The Lumberjacks were the unanimous number one pick with 100 first-place votes. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their team.
The Lumberjacks finished the 2018 regular season tied at the top of the standings with Idaho but defeated the Vandals in the conference tournament to claim the 2018 title.
Northern Arizona returns last year’s Big Sky Championship Most Valuable Player and a first-team All-Big Sky selection in Heaven Harris. Harris is entering her junior season after a phenomenal sophomore campaign that earned her a spot on the All-Big Sky First Team. The opposite hitter had a .266 hitting percentage on 1,033 total attacks and 669 kills. Harris was third on the team last year in points scored per set with an average of 3.21 points.
Also joining Harris on the Lumberjacks lineup is senior Abby Akin. Akin led the league last season in hitting percentage with a .404 success rate. The middle blocker totaled 668 total attacks in 2018 and had a league-high 325 kills. Akin also ranked third in the conference in service aces with 45 in 2018.
Picked to finish second this year are the Weber State Wildcats who received 89 points in the poll and had one first-place vote.
In 2018, the Wildcats finished the season with an 18-10 overall record and placed three players on the All-Big Sky Conference First Team.
Weber State returns two all-conference players from last season in Hannah Hill-DeYoung and Megan Gneiting.
Hill-DeYoung returns at middle blocker for the Wildcats and was the third-leading scorer last season and averaged 2.62 points per set. Hill-DeYoung also finished the season with a hitting percentage of .394 with 199 kills on 388 total attacks. Defensively, Hill-DeYoung averaged 1.18 blocks per set a season ago.
Gneiting also returns as an outside hitter/middle blocker for the Wildcats. Gneiting was the second-leading scorer for Weber State in 2018 and averaged 3.70 points per set on 307 kills.
Sacramento State is picked to finish third in the preseason coaches poll after receiving 79 points in the poll. The Hornets wrapped up their 2018 campaign with a 16-16 record.
Returning this season for the Hornets is standout sophomore setter, Ashtin Olin. Olin was named All-Big Sky Conference Second Team as a freshman. The sophomore setter averaged 10.32 assists per set and 2.21 digs per set. She was also responsible for 180.5 points last year and totaled 90 blocks.
Also returning for Sacramento State is the second leading scorer from a season ago in Sarah Davis. The outside hitter averaged 3.1 points per set on 1,103 total attacks and 313 kills in 2018.
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The remaining teams are listed in order of projected finish with first-place votes in parentheses.
2019 Big Sky Volleyball Preseason Coaches’ Poll
|
Rank
|
Team
|
Points
|
|
1)
|
Northern Arizona (10)
|
100
|
|
2)
|
Weber State (1)
|
89
|
|
3)
|
Sacramento State
|
79
|
|
4)
|
Northern Colorado
|
73
|
|
5)
|
Idaho
|
59
|
|
6)
|
Idaho State
|
55
|
|
7)
|
Montana State
|
47
|
|
8)
|
Portland State
|
39
|
|
9)
|
Montana
|
30
|
|
10)
|
Southern Utah
|
24
|
|
11)
|
Eastern Washington
|
10
|