Aug. 24, 2017
WCC Preseason Poll & All-WCC Team
SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- Kristen Gengenbacher and Kaity Edwards were selected to the All-WCC Preseason Team, the conference office announced Thursday morning. Additionally, the Toreros were picked to finish second by the league's coaches.
Both Gengenbacher and Edwards were All-WCC honorable mention selections last season. Gengenbacher has led the team in assists the past two seasons as the team's starting setter. She enters the 2017 season with 2,518 career assists, the ninth most in program history. For the second summer in a row, she competed with the U.S. Collegiate National Team and helped the squad win the European Global Challenge in Croatia this past July.
Edwards made an immediate impact in 2016, her first year with the Toreros after transferring from Santa Clara. She finished third on the team in kills (235, .364 kill percentage), total blocks (66) and block assists (58).
The Toreros received one first place vote and 72 total points in the preseason coaches poll, trailing only the 2016 champion, BYU, who had 81 points.
Portland, fresh off the most successful season in program history was tabbed third with 58 points. Pacific was picked to finish fourth with 50 points.
Santa Clara snared 48 points to round out the top-five of the survey, one point in front of sixth-place Pepperdine (47). Saint Mary's (35), Loyola Marymount (28), Gonzaga (21) and San Francisco (9) round out the survey.
No fewer than eight programs placed at least one student-athlete on the preseason All-West Coast Conference Team. BYU and USD led the way with a pair of preseason selections.
The Toreros, who went 24-6 last year (15-3 in conference), begin the 2017 season at the Texaco Rainbow Wahine Invitational where they will face No. 13 UCLA, No. 20 Hawaii and Marquette.
2017 WCC Preseason Volleyball Coaches Poll
Team (First Place Vote) Pts.
1. BYU (9) 81
2. San Diego (1) 72
3. Portland 58
4. Pacific 50
5. Santa Clara 48
6. Pepperdine 47
7. Saint Mary's 35
8. Loyola Marymount 28
9. Gonzaga 21
10. San Francisco 14
2017 All-WCC Preseason Volleyball Team
Name Institution Yr. Pos.
Kaity Edwards San Diego Jr. MB
Ashlyn Fleming Pacific So. MB
Kristen Gengenbacher San Diego Sr. S
Jasmine Gross Pepperdine So. MB
Lindsey Knudsen Saint Mary's Jr. OH
Mary Lake BYU So. LIB
Kirsten Mead Santa Clara Sr. S
McKenna Miller BYU So. OH
Savannah Slattery Loyola Marymount So. OH
Hannah Troutman Portland Sr. OH
