COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.— The Colorado Mesa University volleyball team was tabbed second in a competitive Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll and had three players in Aesha Alrashed, Henley Madsen and Ashlyn Tafoya named to the Preseason All-RMAC Team, conference officials announced on Tuesday.
 
The Mavericks received 169 points in the polling of the league's 15 head coaches, who were asked to rank their opposition without voting for their own squad.  The Mavericks received one first place vote, a league-leading five second place votes and three third place predications.
 
The Mavericks are coming off a 17-11 season that saw them finish 10-4 in RMAC play.  They also qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the fifth straight year.

In related news, the Mavs were also receiving votes in the American Volleyball Coaches Association-Taraflex Division II Preseason Poll, that was released on Monday.
 
Defending RMAC Co-Champion UCCS topped the RMAC poll with 187 points, garnering eight first place votes.  The Colorado School of Mines and defending NCAA Division II National Champion MSU Denver tied for third in the poll with 165 points.  Mines picked up two first place votes while MSU Denver, who has a new coach this season, received four top billings.
 
CSU Pueblo was picked fifth with 155 points while Colorado Christian was tabbed sixth with 125.  Fort Lewis (112), South Dakota Mines (107), Westminster (83) and Regis (67) rounded out the top ten of the poll.  Adams State (62), New Mexico Highlands (52), Western Colorado (44), Black Hills State (43) and Chadron State (38) were picked 11^th-15^th, respectively.
 
The 14-player Preseason All-RMAC team includes ten returning first or second team All-RMAC honorees and is made up of returning players who received the most amount of votes in the All-RMAC voting process last fall.
 
Alrashed, a fifth-year middle blocker out of Greeley, Colorado, earned Honorable Mention All-RMAC accolades last season after leading the Mavericks with 108 blocks, the most of any Maverick since 2018.  She was ranked fourth in the RMAC for total blocks and third with her 1.05 per set average.  She also recorded 147 kills (1.47/set) and hit .257.
 
Madsen, a sophomore opposite hitter from Park City, Utah, was one of the Mavs' three Second Team All-RMAC selections last year and finished second on the team in total kills (208), kills per set (2.74), total points (235) and points per set (3.09) despite missing the post-season due to injury. 
 
Tafoya, a sophomore setter from Loveland, Colorado, also earned Second Team All-RMAC honors and recorded 719 assists in her debut season, the most of any Maverick freshman in 15 years.  She also had 240 digs (2.33/set) to rank third on the team and registered 11 double-doubles.
 
The Mavericks will host Utah State-Eastern in a preseason scrimmage at Noon on Wednesday in Brownson Arena.  They will then play an exhibition match at NCAA Division I foe Utah Valley on Friday at 6 p.m. in Orem, Utah before opening the regular season at the Dallas Classic at DBU on Aug. 27-28.
 
The Mavs will then host the Volley in the Valley Tournament on Sept. 4-5 playing four home matches over two days.
 
The Mavs open RMAC play at home on Sept. 11 against Adams State.