Volleyball Captures Top Billing in ECC Preseason Poll

8/29/2014 11:01:00 AM

CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. (Aug. 29, 2014) - The LIU Post volleyball team will begin their defense of the NCAA East Region Championship as the top-ranked squad in Friday's East Coast Conference preseason coaches' poll. Additionally, the Pioneers were the only team in the East region to collect votes in the national preseason poll, which was conducted by the American Volleyball Coaches' Association.

The green and gold captured the program's first regional title in school history in 2013 and made an appearance in the NCAA national quarterfinals, another first for the program. LIU Post finished the year with a record of 25-10 and was ranked in the AVCA's final Top-25 poll last December. The Pioneers reached the 25-win mark for the first time since 1999 and completed the program's first back-to-back 20-win seasons in nearly a decade.

Leading the green and gold this season will be senior libero Rachel Ringor (Honolulu, Hawaii). The reigning East Coast Conference Libero of the Year, Ringor compiled a total of 605 digs and also led the team with 61 service aces.  Senior setter Lulu Centro (Rome, Italy) dished out 1,252 assists last season to pace the Pioneers, as well. Senior middle hitter Heather Adams (Centreville, Ohio) and junior middle blocker Melissa Hansen led all returning players with a combined 589 kills between them.

The Pioneers received four of the nine first-place votes, while amassing 75 total points in the tally. Bridgeport, which had been the preseason favorite the last two years, also notched four first-place nods but sits in second place with a total of 73 points. Daemen and NYIT are tied for the third position in the ballot, while Dowling sits fifth with one first-place mention. For the complete release of the ECC poll, please click here.

In the national preseason poll, seven-time defending champion Concordia-St. Paul was picked as the top team in all of Division II volleyball. Tampa and Minnesota-Duluth took second and third, respectively, while national runners-up BYU-Hawaii sit in fourth place. Central Missouri rounds out the top-5 teams in the AVCA ledger. For the complete AVCA poll, please click here.

LIU Post will begin their season with a tournament on the other side of the continent. The Pioneers travel to Anchorage, Alaska for a tri-tournament with Saint Leo and Alaska-Anchorage beginning Sept. 5.

2014 ECC Volleyball Preseason Poll
1. LIU Post (4 First-Place Votes) - 75 Points
2. Bridgeport (4 First-Place Votes) - 73 Points
T-3. Daemen - 55 Points
T-3. NYIT - 55 Points
5. Dowling (One First-Place Vote) - 50 Points
6. Roberts Wesleyan - 39 Points
7. Molloy - 24 Points
8. Queens - 21 Points
9. Mercy - 13 Points