COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The San Diego State volleyball team was pegged for an eighth-place finish in the 2022 Mountain West preseason coaches poll released Wednesday by the conference office.
In a vote of the league's 11 head coaches, the Aztecs received 33 points, trailing UNLV (57 pts) and Wyoming (47 pts), which were slotted sixth and seventh, respectively.
Colorado State (93 pts, 6 first-place votes) edged Utah State (91 pts, 3 first-place votes) for the top spot, while San José State (75 pts, 1 first-place vote) and Boise State (75 pts, 1 first-place vote) tied for third, followed by fifth-place New Mexico (68 pts).
Fresno State (29 pts) was predicted to finish ninth behind SDSU, while Air Force (27 pts) and Nevada (10 pts) rounded out the poll.
The top six teams in the conference standings will qualify for the Mountain West Championship, set for Nov. 23-25 at CSU's Moby Arena in Fort Collins, Colorado.
The Aztecs welcome back eight letterwinners, including junior Heipua Tautua'a, who is the team's top returning offensive threat after posting 208 kills (1.98/set), which ranked second on the squad in 2021. The SDSU outside hitter also displayed her versatility last season, occupying No. 2 spot on the team defensively with 239 digs (2.28/set).
In addition, 2021starters Noa Miller and Julia Haynie find themselves back in the mix. Despite missing the final seven matches last year, Miller still ranked seventh among the Mountain West setters with a team-leading 6.01 assists per set (421 overall) and topped the squad with four double-doubles. Meanwhile, Haynie enjoyed a successful campaign after transferring from Portland State, posting a team-high 61 total blocks, including eight solo stops, to go with 103 kills at the middle blocker position.
Third-year head coach Brent Hilliard has fortified the Aztec roster with eight talented newcomers, including AVCA High School All-Americans Madison Corf (outside hitter) and Kat Cooper (middle blocker), along with a pair of Division I transfers in middle blocker Elly Schraeder (USD) and opposite Kayla Rivera (Georgia). Also featured in that group are former prep stars Cara Braun (outside hitter), McKenna Douglas (defensive specialist), Ellie Geoghegan (defensive specialist) and Sarena Gonzalez (setter).
Last November, SDSU's 2022 recruiting class was ranked just outside the Prep Volleyball Top 30, landing on the cusp of the magazine's list in the 35th spot.
San Diego State opens its 2022 campaign on Saturday, Aug. 20, when it travels up the coast for an exhibition at UC Irvine, starting at 1 p.m. PT. The Aztecs lift the lid on their regular-season slate next week when they play host to California as part of the SDSU Invitational on Friday, Aug. 26, beginning at 6 p.m. The Aztecs' home tournament also features matches against Army West Point (Aug. 27) and UC San Diego (Aug. 27).
Aztec Volleyball Picked Eighth in MW Preseason Poll
