Lock Haven, Pa. – Shippensburg and California (Pa.) have been pegged to finish the 2013 season atop their respective division according to the 2013 PSAC women's volleyball preseason poll conducted by the league's head coaches. First-year
Head Coach Joanna Haupt's Lady Cats have been picked to finish sixth in the Esstern Division in Pitt-Johnstown's inaugural season in the PSAC...
(PSAC Story)
For the second-straight season California has been granted the top slot, as the Vulcans earned four first-places nods in the Western Division. California advanced to the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional finals in 2012 and finished the season holding the most victories in the PSAC with a 30-8 overall record. The Vulcans graduated all three of their 2012 All-PSAC performers, but return
Molly Delaney, the team's top defensive athlete from a year ago with a team-high 531 digs.
Shippensburg earned three first-place nods in the voting and claimed the Eastern Division separated from No. 2 Lock Haven by just one point. The Raiders return their biggest offensive threat in
Jill Edwards, who registered the most kills of any returning player in the PSAC with 474 in 2012. The Raiders capped last season having a 27-12 overall mark to record the most wins in the East. Last season, Shippensburg advanced to the PSAC Championship semifinals for the first time since 2009 and appeared in the NCAA postseason for the first time since 2007.
Lock Haven, the 2012 PSAC championship runner-up, recorded four first-place votes and captured the second slot on the preseason poll. A year ago, the Eagles made their 15
th appearance in the NCAA Atlantic Regional and return
Bailey Farthing, the squad's second highest kill producer from a year ago with 315 terminations.
Picking-up the final first-place vote in the Eastern Division is West Chester, who tied Millersville for third on the poll. The Golden Rams finished 2012 with an 18-17 overall mark, while making their eighth straight appearance in the PSAC Championship.
The remaining Western Division first-place nods were split two apiece between No. 2 Clarion and No. 3 Gannon. Gannon, the 2012 PSAC Champion, will be looking to capture the program's second PSAC title and make its way back to the NCAA D-II Atlantic Regional Semifinals. Clarion returns three of its top four kill manufacturers from last season along with starting setter and All-PSAC honoree
Laura Subject.
Listed below are the preseason PSAC volleyball coaches' polls. First-place votes are in parenthesis.
Eastern Division
1. Shippensburg (3)
2. Lock Haven (4)
T3. West Chester (1)
T3. Millersville
5. Kutztown
6. Pitt-Johnstown
7. East Stroudsburg
8. Cheyney
Western Division
1. California (4)
2. Clarion (2)
3. Gannon (2)
4. Mercyhurst
5. Edinboro
6. IUP
7. Seton Hill
8. Slippery Rock
