SAN FRANCISCO -- The Washington State volleyball team, led by 2016 Pac-12 Coach of the Year Jen Greeny, was predicted to finish seventh in the 2017 Pac-12 standings by a vote of the conference coaches as released by the conference Wed., Aug. 16.
The coaches predicted Washington would win the 2017 Pac-12 title with reigning national champions Stanford second. The top eight teams in the preseason poll all competed in the 2016 NCAA Championship tournament including WSU which finished tied for fifth in the conference and No. 24 in the final AVCA Top 25 Coaches Poll.
The 2017 Pac-12 Preseason Coaches poll with point totals and first place votes in parentheses: Washington (8) 118; Stanford (3) 113; Oregon 93; Utah (1) 88; UCLA 83; USC 1; Washington State 66; Arizona 51; Colorado 38; Oregon State 33; California 23; and Arizona State 15. WSU received its most points and highest preseason poll position in the six years of the 12-member conference poll.
"Every single match in the Pac-12 is a battle and it really doesn't matter where we are picked, we are striving to get better every day and prepare for each opponent to the best of our abilities," Greeny said.
In the 2017 Preseason AVCA Coaches Top 25 Poll released Aug. 9, WSU was listed as "also receiving votes" with 67 points (29th). A total of eight Pac-12 teams were ranked in the preseason top 25 or also receiving votes. WSU is also listed in these preseason polls: PrepVolleyball.com - 25th; RichKern - 30th; Pablo - 26th; and VolleyMog.com - 24th.
The Cougars begin Pac-12 Conference against Washington Wed., Sept. 20, at Bohler Gym, in one of the 13 Pac-12 Network live broadcasts of Cougar volleyball this season.