COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The San Diego State volleyball team was pegged for a fifth-place finish in the Mountain West preseason coaches poll released Thursday by the conference office.
In a vote of the league's 11 head coaches, the Aztecs received 70 points and one first-place vote, trailing defending league champion Colorado State (92 pts, 5 first-place votes), UNLV (90 pts, 4 first-place votes), Wyoming (80 pts, 1 first-place vote) and Boise State (76 pts), which occupied the top four spots, respectively.
Fresno State (48 pts) was a distant sixth in the poll, while Nevada (41 pts) landed in the seventh position ahead of Air Force (33 pts), San José State (28 pts), New Mexico (25 pts) and Utah State (22 pts).
SDSU, which finished fifth in the MW race in the fall of 2019 with an 8-10 mark and a 15-14 overall record, returns 13 players from that squad, including outside hitter Victoria O'Sullivan, who ranked sixth in the league with 3.20 kills per set (352 overall). The Aztec junior also tied for the team lead with 14 block solos and finished fourth with 52 stops overall.
In addition, San Diego State welcomes back junior all-conference setter Camryn Machado, who ranked second in the MW with 10.62 assists per set (1,158 overall) and occupied the No. 2 spot on the team with 2.54 digs per set (277 overall). Also in the mix are senior right-side hitter and team captain Erin Gillcrist (1.89 kills/set, 0.71 blocks/set) and junior middle blocker Andrea Walker (.308 hitting pct., 1.87 kills/set, 0.88 blocks/set).
First-year head coach Brent Hilliard has added four newcomers to the Aztec roster, including a trio of freshmen in outside hitter Heipua Tautua'a, setter Kennedy Feuerborn and defensive specialist Nadia Barcklay, along with junior defensive specialist Brooklynn Hill, a transfer from perennial national power Penn State.
SDSU will open its 2021 spring slate with a pair of road matches at UNLV (Feb. 4-5) before hosting Fresno State the following weekend (Feb. 12-13) on Aztec Court at Peterson Gym. At this time, no fans will be permitted to attend SDSU home volleyball matches.
The Mountain West has adopted a 16-match conference-only schedule for the 2021 spring volleyball season taking place over nine weeks (Feb. 4-April 3). Each institution will play six opponents twice and four opponents once.
Using a hybrid scheduling format, the first seven weeks will feature teams facing the same opponent twice in one weekend at one site. Travel partners will play the final two weeks of the season.
SDSU will live stream six home volleyball matches this spring on GoAztecs.com via the Mountain West Network, including the first Fresno State clash (Feb. 12), followed by Nevada (Feb. 27), Utah State (March 12-13), Air Force (April 1) and Colorado State (April 3).
2021 MOUNTAIN WEST PRESEASON SPRING VOLLEYBALL POLL
(First-place votes in parentheses)
1. Colorado State (5) - 92
2. UNLV (4) - 90
3. Wyoming (1) - 80
4. Boise State - 76
5. San Diego State – 70 (1)
6. Fresno State - 48
7. Nevada - 41
8. Air Force – 33
9. San José State - 28
10. New Mexico - 25
11. Utah State – 22
Aztecs Picked Fifth in MW Preseason Poll
