NEW YORK | The Skyline Conference's 11 head women's volleyball coaches have voted on their 2018 preseason poll, and defending champion U.S. Merchant Marine Academy has been chosen as the favorite to hoist the championship hardware once again in early November.
Head coach Tim Gaiser's Mariners, who won a thrilling five-set championship final in 2017 over College of Mount Saint Vincent, picked up five first-place votes en route to a total of 93 voting points.
Farmingdale State College (89, 3 first-place votes), Mount Saint Vincent (84, 2) and St. Joseph's College-Long Island (72, 1) round out the top-four in the poll as each received at least one first-place tally from their coaching peers.
The six-team 2018 Skyline Conference Women's Volleyball Championship starts with first-round action on Tuesday, Oct. 30. The top-two seeds receive byes to the semifinal round on Nov. 1, while the title match takes place on Nov. 3. The champion receives the Skyline's automatic bid to the following week's NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Championship.
2018 Skyline Conference Women's Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll
Pl., Team (first-place votes) - Pts.
1. USMMA (5) - 93
2. Farmingdale State (3) - 89
3. Mount Saint Vincent (2) - 84
4. St. Joseph's-L.I. (1) - 72
5. Mount Saint Mary - 65
6. Maritime - 55
7. Sarah Lawrence - 37
8. St. Joseph's-Brooklyn - 36
9. Old Westbury - 35
10. Purchase - 23
11. Yeshiva - 16