2016 Preseason All-PacWest Team
IRVINE, Calif. – For the second-consecutive season, California Baptist was selected as the preseason favorite to win the PacWest volleyball championship. The Lancers topped the annual coaches’ poll, narrowly surpassing defending champion Dixie State.
CBU received eight first-place votes and 189 total points to claim first place in the poll. CBU tied with Point Loma for second place in the PacWest last season. The Lancers return three All-PacWest performers – outside hitters
Lauren Hackett and
Jenna Perry, and middle blocker
Abbie Gortsema. Hackett and Perry were both all-region honorees as well, and combined for 772 kills.
Dixie State came in second place with five first-place votes and 180 total points. The Trailblazers won their first conference volleyball championship last season and made their third-straight trip to the NCAA West Regional. Point Loma earned a third-place spot after reaching the NCAA West Regional for the first time last year as an at-large team.
Concordia junior
Rachel Flynn was named PacWest Preseason Player of the Year. The outside hitter made quite an impact in her first season in the conference, earning All-PacWest First Team accolades. She ranked third in the conference in kills per set (4.21), fifth in total kills (413) and sixth total points (479.5). She earned the PacWest Player of the Week award after averaging 5.0 kills per set in Concordia’s first two PacWest wins, including an upset of No. 24 Point Loma.
Dixie State senior
Kailey Frei was named PacWest Preseason Setter of the Year. Frei ranked second in the PacWest in 2015 with 1,120 total assists, averaging 9.74 per set. She also posted 85 kills and 24 service aces. She recorded over 50 assists in a match five times, including a career-high 54 in a five-set win over Notre Dame de Namur.
Dominican senior
Amanda Lee was named PacWest Preseason Libero of the Year. The 2015 PacWest Libero of the Year and an All-PacWest First Team member, she led the conference in digs per set (5.86) and was second in total digs (580). She was named to the D2CCA All-West Region Second Team and her dig average ranked 18
th in the nation. Lee had five matches with at least 30 digs, including a program record 39 in a five-set win over Cal State Dominguez Hills.
| 2016 PACWEST VOLLEYBALL PRESEASON POLL |
| 1. |
California Baptist (8) |
189 |
| 2. |
Dixie State (5) |
180 |
| 3. |
Point Loma |
158 |
| 4. |
Concordia |
131 |
| 5. |
Azusa Pacific |
127 |
| 6. |
Chaminade |
121 |
| 7. |
BYU-Hawaii (1) |
116 |
| 8. |
Fresno Pacific |
115 |
| 9. |
Hawai’i Pacific |
92 |
| 10. |
Hawai’i Hilo |
68 |
| 11. |
Academy of Art |
60 |
| 12. |
Dominican |
51 |
| 13. |
Notre Dame de Namur |
41 |
| 14. |
Holy Names |
21 |
| First-place votes in parenthesis |