After winning its first Big West title in 10 years and coming off its best season in program history, the Cal Poly volleyball team was selected to win the Big West following the Tuesday release of the preseason coaches poll.
The Mustangs, who finished a perfect 16-0 in the Big West last season for the first time in program history, received five first place votes and a total of 77 points from the nine head coaches in the conference. Hawai’i, who finished second last season, was picked to finish second this year. They received four first place votes and 75 total points. UC Irvine (62 points), Long Beach State (48 points) and UC Santa Barbara (45 points) rounded out the rest of the top five.
Cal Poly finished the 2017 season leading the Big West in hitting percentage (.310), assists (14.06 per set) and kills (15.07 per set). Junior Torrey Van Winden and senior Adlee Van Winden both ended the season top 10 in kills in the conference. Torrey finished second with 4.72 per set and Adlee finished eighth with 3.32 per set en route to nods on the on the All-Big West First Team.
The Mustangs return five starters and a total of 10 returners from last year’s squad. A squad that went 27-3, had a perfect record at home and made it to the NCAA Tournament’s second round after winning its first tournament match in 10 years.
Cal Poly has won the Big West four times: 1984, 2006, 2007, 2017.
The Mustangs began fall camp Tuesday and will have 17 days before the season opener in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Friday, August 24 against Pepperdine.
-Provided by Cal Poly
