BENNINGTON, Vt. – The New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) announced the results of its 2016 women's volleyball preseason coaches poll on Friday with Southern Vermont College tabbed eighth in the results.
Two-time defending tournament champion Regis College was unanimously selected to once again finish atop the Conference standings.
"I believe the young ladies will have a successful season if they can work together as a team," commented SVC second-year head coach Scott Fitzgerald. "There are many strong players on the team which will make it hard to divide up the playing time. We are going to be smaller than most teams we play this season, and we also have quite a few freshmen and sophomores who will see a lot of action."
The Mountaineers return three players including senior captain Brin Goldman (St. Croix, Virgin Islands) who led the team last year in kills per set (2.67) and service aces (48); she was selected as the NECC Player of the Week early on in 2015 after posting a triple-double and ranked second for Southern Vermont during the year in digs per set (2.79).
"I've talked with Brin, and we agree that she needs to be a positive role model on the court," Fitzgerald said of Goldman. "The ladies will look to her for experience and leadership. She is going to face more challenges because she is the lone senior."
Also returning for their second year of action in the Mountaineer uniform are sophomore outside hitters Lizzy Bench (St. Petersburg, Fla.) and Nicole Shepard (Troy, N.Y.). Additionally, Fitzgerald brings in a solid core of seven new faces to the program who will all play a vital role in SVC's campaign to get into the NECC postseason.
"I expect my second year to be less stressful," Fitzgerald added. "Last year was tough because we had to overcome fatigue and injuries and had many players who were new to the sport. This year, however, will have a much different feel to it."
The Mountaineers begin the 2016 regular season on Friday, September 2 with their first day of the SUNY Canton Invitational; SVC will play SUNY Polytechnic Institute at 6 p.m. before taking on SUNY Potsdam at 8 p.m.
2016 NECC Women's Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Regis - 81 (9)
2. Newbury - 65
3. Lesley - 64
4. Becker - 43
5. Elms - 42
6. Daniel Webster - 40
7. Mitchell - 29
8. Southern Vermont - 26
9. Bay Path - 15
(Parentheses denote first-place votes)