Women’s Volleyball Picked Second In Preseason Coaches’ Poll

MANSFIELD, Mass. – Eastern Nazarene College nabbed seven of the eight first-place votes to top the 2019 New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) Women's Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll, collecting 49 total points.

Landing in second with 47 points is Elms College.  Sheila Gisbrecht will return for her twelfth season at the helm for the Blazers. "This year we have a solid returning group an should be fighting for the conference championship," Gisbrecht shared when asked about the upcoming season. First team All-NECC selection, Dakota Stewart (Victoria, Texas) will also return for Elms. The setter led the league in assists per set, with 8.21, and helped the Blazers secure a share of the regular season title a season ago. Kianna Lozada (Bayamon, P.R.) and Hannah Pichardo (South Glen Falls, N.Y.) had a big impact in 2018 and are back for Elms in 2019.

The Blazers open up their 2019 season when they host Albertus Magnus on Friday 8/30 at 3:00pm as part of the Blazer Invitational. 

2019 NECC Women's Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll
1.    Eastern Nazarene College- 49 (7)

2.    Elms College- 47

3.    New England College 39 (1) 

4.    Becker College- 28 

5.    Mitchell College- 21

T6.  Bay Path University- 17

T6.  Dean College- 17 

8.    Lesley University- 12