Volleyball Voted First in 2019 Big Sky Preseason Coaches Poll

FARMINGTON, Utah (August 16, 2019) – The Northern Arizona volleyball team is the unanimous preseason favorite to defend their conference title in the Big Sky Preseason Coaches Poll released by the league office on Friday. NAU received 10 first-place votes as coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team.
 
The Lumberjacks claimed first-place votes from all 10 of the opposing conference head coaches for a total of 100 points. Weber State picked up the lone remaining first-place vote and finished second to NAU in the preseason poll with 89 points.
 
NAU returns three all-conference performers in senior Abby Akin, junior Heaven Harris and sophomore Ryann Davis from its 2018 Big Sky Championship team. The 'Jacks bring back six letterwinners among nine players in total to go along with five freshmen.
 
Last season, the Lumberjacks shared the regular season title with Idaho with a 15-3 mark in conference play before proceeding to sweep through the Big Sky tournament to secure their second NCAA Tournament appearance in the last four years. NAU finished the 2018 campaign with a 26-9 record, tying the second-highest single season tally for wins in program history.
 
Sacramento State, this season's Big Sky Championship host, placed third in the poll with 79 points, followed by Northern Colorado in fourth with 73 points. Idaho, the 2018 Big Sky runner-up, came in fifth with 59 points ahead of Idaho State, who placed sixth with 55 points to round out the upper half of the poll.
 
Montana State and Portland State claimed the seventh and eight spots respectively. The top eight teams at the conclusion of the regular season will advance to the conference tournament to be held in Sacramento, Calif. from Nov. 28-30.
 
Montana, Southern Utah and Eastern Washington were ninth, 10th and 11th respectively.
 
2019 Big Sky Preseason Poll (First-Place Votes in Parentheses)