FARMINGTON, Utah — A familiar trio topped the Big Sky Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll, released Friday. The Vikings joined Northern Colorado and Weber State at the top of the poll, a year after those three dominated the conference during the 2021 season.
 
The Vikings found themselves third in the poll, the same spot they placed at the end of last season when they finished a game behind co-regular-season champions Northern Colorado and Weber State. Northern Colorado, which went on to win the Big Sky tournament, topped the poll with 78 votes, having received first-place votes from six of the other nine teams in the conference. Weber State finished second with 70 points and two first-place votes, while Portland State finished third with 66 points and received a lone first-place vote.
 
Montana State, Northern Arizona and Sacramento State finished in a tight middle pack behind the top three. The Bobcats edged out the other two teams with 52 points thanks to receiving the final first-place vote. Northern Arizona and Sacramento State were two points back of Montana State as they both earned 50 points to finish in a tie for fifth.
 
The bottom four teams were all tightly packed, as well, as Eastern Washington and Montana finished in a tie for seventh with 25 points each. Idaho and Idaho State stood ninth and 10th with 21 and 13 points, respectively.
 
The Vikings return five starters off last year's team that went 12-4 in Big Sky play and 20-11 overall. Makayla Lewis, Ellie Snook and Parker Webb all return after earning All-Big Sky first-team honors last season, while fellow starters Ashleigh Barto and Zoe McBride return as well. Additionally, the Vikings added two-time All-Big Sky second-teamer Ashlyn Blotzer from Eastern Washington, as well as five other newcomers between three other transfers and two freshmen.
 
The Vikings host Central Washington for an exhibition match Saturday at 5 p.m. The season then officially opens the following weekend when the Vikings will host a stacked tournament – the Hotel Vance Rose City Showdown – Aug. 26-28. Nineteenth-ranked Oregon comes to Viking Pavilion for the tournament, as well as fellow in-state Pac-12 program Oregon State and five-time national champion Long Beach State. The Vikings open the tournament with a match against Long Beach at 6 p.m. on Aug. 26.

 

Big Sky Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll
Rk	Team	Points
1	Northern Colorado (6)	78
2	Weber State (2)	70
3	Portland State (1)	66
4	Montana State (1)	52
t5	Northern Arizona	50
t5	Sacramento State	50
t7	Eastern Washington	25
t7	Montana	25
9	Idaho	21
10	Idaho State	13
First-place votes in parentheses