BENNINGTON, Vt. – In a preseason poll, the women's volleyball coaches of the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) have selected two-time league champion Southern Vermont College to finish third in the conference.
Southern Vermont, who grabbed three first-place votes, is looking to keep the NECC trophy in the Mountaineer Athletic Center after two seasons in which the team went undefeated in regular season conference play. The Mountaineers went 24-7 last year, 8-0 in the league, en route to their second consecutive NECC title.
The team, led by first-year head coach Deon Jones, will look to replace the offensive firepower produced by Jessica Alvarez and Danielle Healis who have expended eligibility but since returned to assist Jones on the bench.
"The team has come together quite well and gotten a lot better since day one," commented Jones. "We have to go out and work hard day in and day out; we have to work to win. Despite a few injuries, I think they definitely look prepared for this weekend's opening matches."
Returning to the court for Southern Vermont is senior setter Carrie Baltazar (Riverside, Calif.) and junior outside hitter Marissa Flores (Azusa, Calif.). Baltazar led the NECC in 2012 with 8.28 assists per set and ranks third on the all-time SVC assist record board with just one year of solid action, recording 886 assists last year. Flores will provide pivotal experience, having seen a lot of time in her first two years with Southern Vermont, including NCAA tournament appearances. Jones also welcomes four newcomers to the team.
Newbury College and Regis College also received three first-place votes apiece, however were selected to finish first and second, respectively, based on further voting. Daniel Webster College rounds out the top-four.
The Mountaineers being regular season action Friday, August 30, with the 2013 home-opener when Norwich University visits the MAC for a 6 p.m. start. New England Collegiate Conference play starts September 28 during SVC's Homecoming Weekend as Southern Vermont welcomes Regis for a 7 p.m. match.
2013 NECC Women's Volleyball Coaches Poll (NECC RELEASE)
1. Newbury (3)
2. Regis (3)
3. Southern Vermont (3)
4. Daniel Webster
5. Lesley
6. Bay Path
7. Elms
8. Mitchell
9. Becker
(Parentheses denote first-place votes)