WALNUT CREEK, Calif. – With the Huskies set to report to campus this Friday, the volleyball season is fast approaching. Another sign came today as the Pac-12 announced its annual Preseason Coaches Poll. This season for the first time the conference coaches also voted for a Preseason All-Pac-12 Team, with 14 returning players pegged as ones to watch.
Husky outside hitters Krista Vansant and Kylin Muñoz were voted onto the Preseason All-Pac-12 Team, while the Huskies were ranked third in the Pac-12 pecking order. Stanford, the defending conference champions, was voted to the top spot, receiving 10 of the 12 first place votes. USC was second, picking up the remaining two first place votes, followed by Washington. Oregon was voted fourth, with UCLA fifth and Arizona State sixth to round out the top half of the conference projections.
Last season the Huskies were voted fifth in the preseason poll, and wound up tied for fourth with a 14-6 conference record, advancing to the NCAA Round of 16. Washington was also picked third most recently in 2011 and 2010.
Vansant was an All-Pac-12 pick at the end of her sophomore season last fall, while Muñoz was an honorable mention choice. Vansant (Redlands, Calif.) ranked fifth in the Pac-12 last year, and third among 2013 returners, with 3.99 kills per set, while Muñoz (Monroe, Wash.) was the only player ranked in the top-10 in the Pac-12 in both aces per set and blocks per set. Stanford led all teams with four selections to the Preseason All-Pac-12 Team, while Washington, USC, and Oregon had two players apiece on the team, with one each from UCLA, California, Arizona State, and Arizona.
Preseason Pac-12 Coaches Poll Results
1. Stanford (10)          120
2. USC (2)                   111
3. Washington            99
4. Oregon                    91
5. UCLA                     76
6. Arizona State          65
7. California                59
8. Arizona                   52
9. Utah                        49
10. Colorado               30
11. Washington State 21
12. Oregon State         19
(First Place Votes)
2013 Preseason All-Pac-12 Volleyball Team
Inky Ajanaku, Stanford
Liz Brenner, Oregon
Samantha Bricio, USC
Jordan Burgess, Stanford
Macey Gardner, Arizona State
Adrienne Gehan, California
Natalie Hagglund, USC
Brittany Howard, Stanford
Madi Kingdon, Arizona
Kylin Muñoz, Washington
Lauren Plum, Oregon
Kelly Reeves, UCLA
Krista Vansant, Washington
Carly Wopat, Stanford