COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.— The Colorado Mesa University volleyball team received two first place votes and was tied for second in the overall Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll, which was released Tuesday afternoon by conference officials.
The Mavs, coming off a 21-7 season and NCAA Division II Tournament appearance in the fall of 2021, received 172 total points in the polling of the league's 15 head coaches, who were each asked to rank their opponents without voting for their own squad.
Defending RMAC Champion MSU Denver received ten first place votes and topped the poll with 192 points. The Roadrunners were 28-4 overall and won the league title last fall with a 18-0 conference record.
The Colorado School of Mines was tied in the poll with the Mavs in total points and received one first place vote. The Orediggers finished second in the RMAC standings last year with a 16-2 but went on to win the RMAC Tournament title in five sets over MSU Denver after knocking the Mavs out of the RMAC Tournament in the semifinals in another 5-set match.
Regis also picked up a first place vote and was tabbed fourth with 162 points. The Rangers were 21-8 overall last year and were tied with CMU and CSU Pueblo for third in the RMAC's regular season standings last fall at 15-3.
CSU Pueblo, 20-9 last year, also picked up a first place vote in the poll and were tabbed fifth with 160 points.
Colorado Christian (121), Adams State (97) and UCCS (89) are also predicted to qualify for the RMAC Tournament, checking in sixth, seventh and eighth, respectively in the poll.
South Dakota Mines and Western Colorado were tied for ninth in the poll with 81 points ahead of Fort Lewis and New Mexico Highlands, tied for 11
th with 72 points. Black Hills State (49), Chadron State (37) and Westminster (28) rounded out the poll.
The Mavericks begin the 2022 season next Friday (Aug. 26) at the Oredigger Volleyball Classic, which Mines will host and will play their first conference match on Sept. 8 at MSU Denver.
