The Wyoming volleyball team was selected to finish fifth, as the Mountain West announced the 2014 preseason volleyball poll and all-conference team on Tuesday morning. The voting panel consisted of the league’s 11 head coaches.
Defending league-champion Colorado State was chosen as the favorite to win the 2014 MW regular-season title. The Rams collected seven first-place votes and 97 total points. New Mexico was selected to finish second with 91 points and received the four remaining first-place votes. Utah State was picked third with 81 points followed by San Diego State with 73 points. Wyoming and Boise State were separated by one point as the Cowgirls earned 55 points for fifth place and the Broncos were sixth with 54. UNLV landed in seventh with 50 points, followed by Fresno State in eighth with 40, Air Force in ninth with 31, San José State in 10th with 21 and Nevada rounded out the poll with 12.
UW senior Erin Kirby was picked to the preseason all-conference team for the first time in her career. The three-time All-Mountain West selection led the league in blocking last season while finishing ranked second in the country in that category. New Mexico senior Chantale Riddle was named the 2013 MW Preseason Player of the Year, while Deedra Foss was the designated setter and UNLV’s Allison Davis was named the designated libero. Colorado State teammates Adrianna Culbert and Kelsey Snider also joined Riddle and Utah State’s Elle Brainard on the list of preseason honorees. Six of the seven members are returning 2013 All-MW team members.
The Cowgirls welcome back four starters and nine letterwinners to this year’s squad that finished 21-13 overall and 11-9 in the Mountain West a year ago. They open up the 2014 season on Friday, Aug. 29 at the Montana Invite.
2014 Preseason All-MW Team 2014 MW Preseason Volleyball Coaches’ Poll
Player Cl. Pos. Team Place Team (1st Place Votes) Points
Adrianna Culbert Jr. OPP CSU 1. Colorado State (7) 97
Kelsey Snider Sr. MB CSU 2. New Mexico (4) 91
Chantale Riddle Sr. OPP UNM 3. Utah State 81
Elle Brainard Jr. OPP Utah State 4. San Diego State 73
Erin Kirby Sr. MB Wyoming 5. Wyoming 55
6. Boise State 54
Setter: Deedra Foss Sr. S CSU 7. UNLV 50
Libero: Allison Davies Sr. L UNLV 8. Fresno State 40
9. Air Force 31
Preseason Player of the Year:
10. San José State 21
Chantale Riddle, New Mexico 11. Nevada 12
