New Haven, Conn. - (8/28/2015) – Post University and Wilmington University were chosen first in their respective divisions, according to the
2015 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Women's Volleyball Preseason Coaches' Poll announced on Friday. Chestnut Hill College was pegged fifth in the South Division with 53 points, including one first-place vote, after finishing in the same position last season.
Post, the defending conference champions following their 3-1 triumph over Caldwell University in the 2014 title match, earned 89 points and eight of 14 first-place votes to top the North Division poll. Wilmington University, which captured a split of the league's South Division regular-season championship alongside Georgian Court University last year, topped the Southern projections with 79 points and seven first-place tallies.
Caldwell (85 points, 5 first-place votes) and Bloomfield (65 points, 1 first-place) rounded out the top three in the North, followed by Dominican College (59), Concordia College (34), Nyack College (32), and Felician College (21). Georgian Court University (69, 2 first-place) and Holy Family University (68 points, 2 first-place) were second and third, respectively, in the South and were succeeded by Philadelphia University (59, 1 first-place), Chestnut Hill College (53, 1 first-place), University of the Sciences (34, 1 first-place), and Goldey-Beacom College (25).
The Eagles, who also garnered a share of the league's North Division title in 2014, return several key performers from a season ago, highlighted by reigning CACC Player of the Year and First-Team honoree Skylar German (Kansas City, Mo.). An honorable-mention All-American, the junior middle hitter totaled at least 20 kills in four matches, including 21 in the CACC Championship Final versus the Cougars. Two other Eagles who earned CACC All-Tournament honors last year return in juniors Morgan Griffin (Plainfield, Conn.) and Nicole Brown (Queens, N.Y.).
Wilmington went 20-14 last season and 15-4 in CACC action while advancing to the conference semifinals. The Wildcats return a pair of All-CACC performers, including rookie of the year and first-team honoree, middle hitter Erin Bistany (Greenbelt, Md.), who led the conference with 126 blocks as a freshman. Junior outside hitter Allison Briley (Monroeville, Pa.) earned All-CACC Second-Team accolades last season.
Caldwell went 22-11 last season and 14-5 in league play to earn a share of the North Division championship before advancing to the conference final. The Cougars return Second-Team All-CACC performer Narae Wadsworth (Reno, Nev.), who as a rookie last season ranked second in the league with a .313 hitting percentage. Bloomfield went 15-15 and 11-8 in the conference to reach the championship tournament last year. Georgian Court, meanwhile, nabbed a share of the South Division crown last season after going 20-14 and 15-4 in the league. The Lions once again hosted the CACC Tournament and reached the semifinals before falling to eventual champion Post. Junior setter Kelsey Oliver (Scio, Ore.) returns after earning All-CACC Second-Team accolades a season ago.
A year removed from its most successful season since making the leap to National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II, Chestnut Hill College heads into the 2015 campaign eager to cement its growing profile as one of the more formidable programs in the CACC. Behind a prolific veteran core led by a returning all-region performer in junior libero
Regina Trabosh (Norristown, Pa.) and a record-setting outside hitter in senior
Rachel Biro (Nazareth, Pa.), the Griffins will ramp up their attack in hopes of securing a conference playoff berth for the first time since 2011 after narrowly missing the postseason last year. A four-time conference defensive player of the week and team Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 2014, Trabosh finished as the CACC's leader in digs (636) and digs per set (5.94), breaking her own school records in both categories and ranking 11
th in the nation in the latter. Biro, meanwhile, paced the Griffins in kills per set (3.83) and kills (410), setting single-season program records and ranking third and fourth, respectively, in the CACC in those categories.
The complete results of the 2015 CACC Women's Volleyball Preseason Coaches' Poll are listed below: 2015 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC)
Women's Volleyball Preseason Coaches' Poll | NORTH DIVISION | | |
| Place/Team | 2014 Record, CACC | Points (First-Place Votes) |
| 1. Post University | 22-11/14-5 | 89 (8) |
| 2. Caldwell University | 22-11/14-5 | 85 (5) |
| 3. Bloomfield College | 15-15/11-8 | 65 (1) |
| 4. Dominican College (NY) | 16-9/12-7 | 59 |
| 5. Concordia College (NY) | 4-17/3-16 | 34 |
| 6. Nyack College | 2-31/2-17 | 32 |
| 7. Felician College | 5-19/3-16 | 21 |
| SOUTH DIVISION | | |
| Place/Team | 2014 Record, CACC | Points (First-Place Votes) |
| 1. Wilmington University | 20-14/15-4 | 79 (7) |
| 2. Georgian Court University | 20-14/15-4 | 69 (2) |
| 3. Holy Family University | 12-19/10-9 | 68 (2) |
| 4. Philadelphia University | 15-15/12-7 | 59 (1) |
| 5. Chestnut Hill College | 14-16/9-10 | 53 (1) |
| 6. University of the Sciences | 9-15/6-13 | 34 (1) |
| 7. Goldey-Beacom College | 14-16/7-12 | 25 |
