MANHATTAN, Kan. The preseason volleyball coaches’ poll was released on Wednesday morning by CSTV and the American Volleyball Coaches’ Association (AVCA) and Kansas State checks in ranked 25th with 162 points.

 

For the second straight season, Nebraska was tabbed for the top spot in the nation with 1,431 total points and 14 first-place votes. Penn State is ranked second with 1,407 points and 17 first-place votes. Rounding out the top-five are defending national champion Washington (1,357 points and 16 first-place votes), Stanford (1,287 points and 13 first-place votes) and Florida (1,181 points).

 

The Wildcats have now appeared in the CSTV/AVCA preseason coaches’ poll seven times in the last eight years. The only time K-State missed the poll was last season, when the Wildcats received 123 points to rank 26th. Kansas State’s highest preseason ranking was in 2004 as the Wildcats were ranked 14th, following the school’s first Big 12 title in 2003.

 

K-State head coach Suzie Fritz welcomes back nine letterwinners from the 2005 squad that went 21-11 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. It was the 10th consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament for the Wildcats.

 

Kansas State will face nine teams in 2006 which are ranked among the top-25 or are receiving votes. These squads are Nebraska, Santa Clara (No. 6), Texas (No. 8), Missouri (No. 13), Notre Dame (No. 21), Colorado (receiving votes), Texas A&M (receiving votes), Wichita State (receiving votes) and Northern Iowa (receiving votes).

 

The Wildcats begin the 2006 campaign on Aug. 25-27 at the Fresno State Invitational. K-State will make its home debut in the Varney’s Kansas State Invitational against Lipscomb at 12 p.m. on Sept. 1.

K-StateSports Women's Volleyball

Printer-friendly format	Email this article