Volleyball ranked third in MAC West in preseason poll
The top three in the 2013 Mid-American Conference West preseason coaches poll shadow the standings from the end of the 2012 regular season.
Western Michigan comes in first, followed by Northern Illinois and Central Michigan, with five, four and three first place votes, respectively.
“You never know what you are until you get out there against someone else,” CMU head coach Erik Olson said. “(In the first match,) you find out, ‘Alright, what do we have to do to get better?'”
CMU finished the 2012 season 9-7 in the MAC and 16-14 overall, and was knocked out of the MAC Tournament in the quarterfinals against WMU.
The Chippewas play the Broncos twice this year, first Oct. 4 in Kalamazoo and then on Nov. 9 at McGuirk Arena.
Bowling Green (seven) and Ohio (five) were the only two teams to receive first-place votes to win the MAC East. Both teams earned four votes to win the MAC tournament, while WMU and NIU earned two votes.
CMU opens its schedule this weekend at the Oakland Invitational and will host their first home match in the MAC against Toledo on Sept. 27.
“We want to get better every day,” Olson said. “I can’t wait to see what we look like.”
In addition to the preseason coaches poll, the all-MAC preseason team was unveiled, and the Chippewas are well represented.
Junior outside hitter Kaitlyn McIntyre and senior libero Jenna Coates were named two of the best players in the MAC to start the 2013 season.
