COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — The University of New Mexico volleyball team was selected to finish fifth in the Mountain West this season, as voted by the league’s 11 coaches in the MW Preseason Coaches’ Poll released Thursday.
Senior Hannah Johnson and junior Julia Warren were also selected to the All-Mountain West Preseason Team, which was announced in conjunction with the preseason coaches’ poll.
“I think it’s interesting that we finished fourth last year, we have the most starters returning and we were picked fifth,” New Mexico head coach Jeff Nelson said. “But I think the coaches also gave our program a lot of respect in the fact that we have two players on the preseason all-conference team.”
Six-time defending league champion Colorado State claimed the top spot in the coaches’ poll, earning seven of the 11 first-place votes and 97 total points. UNLV, with two first-place votes, and Boise State, with one first-place vote, tied for second with 83 points. Wyoming, with the final first-place vote, was fourth with 77 points.
After New Mexico in fifth place with 67 points, San Diego State (58 points), Air Force (41), Utah State (39), Fresno State (26), Nevada (20) and San José State (14) rounded out the 11-team poll, placing sixth-to-11th, respectively.
Only 16 point separate second place from fifth place, a testament to the parity among the top teams in the conference.
“There’s a lot of balance in the top five,” Nelson said. “Within that group, if you play well you can win and if you don’t play well you could be fifth.”
In the individual awards, New Mexico was one of just two schools to place multiple players to the preseason all-conference team.
Johnson, a senior from Longview, Washington, is one of the top returning setters in the league after averaging 10.24 assists and 2.54 digs per set in 2014. She ranks 19th on the MW career assists list with 3,023 and is a two-time All-MW honoree.
Warren, who split time between outside hitter and libero last year as a sophomore, captured a preseason honor, too. The Albuquerque junior was named the conference designated libero last year and was all-conference on the outside as a freshman.
“I think it’s great,” Nelson said about the individual accolades. “I think it’s deserved. Hannah’s been all-conference twice and Julia’s been all-conference twice.”
Boise State’s Sierra Nobley, UNLV’s Bree Hammel, Wyoming’s Bridget Shanahan and Colorado State duo Jaime Colaizzi and Adrianna Culbert filled out the rest of the preseason all-conference team. Culbert was selected as the Preseason Player of the Year.
UNM will open its regular season next Friday against Belmont at the Ball State Active Ankle Challenge, and will host a fan appreciation night tonight at 6:30 p.m. at Johnson Center.
The Lobos will play a three-game intrasquad scrimmage and will then meet with fans with a autograph session afterwards.
“We’re looking forward to getting out on the floor and playing a few games and getting the opportunity to meet and greet with our loyal fans,” Nelson said. “I think it’ll will be a really nice night.”
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