Volleyball Selected Seventh in GNAC Preseason Poll
PAXTON, Mass.—The Anna Maria College volleyball team has been selected seventh in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Preseason Coaches' Poll, as announced by the league office on Thursday morning.
The AMCATS enter the 2016 campaign under new leadership, as Britta Ashman signed on to lead the team last week. She takes over for Samantha Shomo, who led the team to three-straight seasons of program records in victories.
Anna Maria has qualified for back-to-back GNAC postseason tournaments and returns a talented roster, spearheaded by the AMCATS' first-ever GNAC All-Conference honoree in sophomore captain Amari King (Lawrence, Mass.).
Johnson & Wales University narrowly bested second-place Rivier University in the 2016 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Women's Volleyball Preseason Poll, as voted upon by the league's 12 head coaches. Both teams received six first-place votes in the ledger, with JWU receiving one more point than Rivier, 138-137.
Johnson & Wales took down Rivier in the GNAC Championship contest last fall, as the Wildcats defeated the Raiders, 3-1, for their sixth league crown. The two schools have met six times in the GNAC Finals since 2002, with each program capturing three titles apiece during that span.
Emmanuel College, a GNAC Tournament semifinalist a year ago, placed third in the poll with 115 points, while Simmons College was fourth with 99 points and Saint Joseph's College of Maine rounded out the top-five with 87 points. SJC also advanced to the GNAC semis last fall.
Lasell College came in at the sixth position with 84 points, followed by Anna Maria College with 70 points, the University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) with 54 points, Mount Ida College and Suffolk University tied with 52 points, Norwich University with 28 points and Albertus Magnus College with 20 points.
The 2016 season kicks off next week as Anna Maria travels to Oswego, N.Y. for the Oswego State Invitational. The AMCATS will play on Friday, September 2nd and Saturday, September 3rd.
2016 GNAC Women's Volleyball Preseason Poll
1. Johnson & Wales (6) – 138
2. Rivier (6) – 137
3. Emmanuel – 115
4. Simmons – 99
5. Saint Joseph's of Maine – 87
6. Lasell – 84
7. Anna Maria – 70
8. USJ (Conn.) – 54
T9. Mount Ida – 52
T9. Suffolk – 52
11. Norwich – 28
12. Albertus Magnus - 20
