Women's volleyball picked first in WCC preseason coaches' poll

PROVO, Utah – The West Coast Conference coaches picked BYU women’s volleyball to finish first in league play and named junior outside hitter Alexa Gray and senior opposite Jennifer Hamson to the Preseason All-WCC team Monday.

The Cougars finished the 2013 season with a 15-3 WCC record, good for second place in league play behind conference foe San Diego, and earned a trip to the regional semifinals of the NCAA tournament. In last year’s poll, BYU was picked to finish first – edging out the Toreros by a point.

Following the 2013 season, Gray was named First-Team All-WCC. In 2012, Hamson was named the WCC Player of the Year and named first-team All-WCC.

San Diego was picked to finish second in conference play after finishing the 2013 season in the regional semifinals of the NCAA tournament.

WCC women’s volleyball officially begins Aug. 29 with the Cougars taking on West Virginia at the Gold & Blue Player’s Challenge. For schedules, scores and standings visit WCCsports.com.

2014 WEST COAST CONFERENCE PRESEASON POLL

TEAM (First Place Votes) POINTS

1. BYU (9) 81

2. San Diego (1) 70

3. Saint Mary’s 61

4. Pepperdine 53

5. Loyola Marymount 39

6. San Francisco 38

7. Pacific 36

8. Santa Clara 34

9. Gonzaga 28

10. Portland 10

2014 PRESEASON ALL-WEST COAST CONFERENCE TEAM

NAME SCHOOL YR. POSITION

Savannah Blinn Gonzaga Jr. OH

Alaysia Brown San Diego Sr. MH

Samantha Cash Pepperdine Sr. MB

Dalas Dodd Saint Mary's Jr. S

Alexa Gray BYU Jr. OH

Jennifer Hamson BYU Sr. OPP

Madelyn Hutson Saint Mary's Sr. OPP

Litara Keil Loyola Marymount Sr. MB

Becca Strehlow Pepperdine Jr. S

Valentina Zaloznik San Francisco Sr. MB