AMES, Iowa – The Iowa State volleyball team checked in at No. 15 in the Volleyball Magazine Top 20 Preseason Poll Wednesday.
The Cyclones also checked in at No. 15 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Preseason Poll which was released last week. Iowa State is featured in the preseason polls for the sixth consecutive season.
Iowa State has been one of the centers of attention so far in the volleyball preseason. Cyclones Mackenzie Bigbee, Kristen Hahn and Victoria Hurtt were named to the 2013 Big 12 Preseason Team earlier this month with Hahn and Hurtt being unanimous selections.
The Cyclones were chosen to finish second in the Big 12 by the league’s coaches, only behind defending NCAA Champions Texas, who are ranked No. 1 in both the Volleyball Magazine and AVCA preseason polls. Fellow Big 12 rival Kansas is ranked No. 20 in both polls.
Iowa State’s 2013 schedule includes the team slotted in at No. 8 in the Volleyball Magazine Preseason Poll in Nebraska, and two teams that were among the others receiving votes, San Diego and Oklahoma.
Iowa State will hold the annual Cardinal and Gold Scrimmage on Saturday at 1 p.m. in Hilton Coliseum. Fans are encouraged to come early as Christy Johnson-Lynch and the Cyclone coaching staff will be hosting “Chalk Talk”. The event begins at 11:30 a.m. in Hilton Coliseum and is an opportunity for fans to learn about the rules and strategies of volleyball and ask questions to the Iowa State coaching staff.
Iowa State’s regular season will begin in Grand Forks, N.D. at the UND Classic against South Dakota State on Aug. 30 at 11 a.m.
Volleyball Magazine Top 20 Preseason Poll
1. Texas (8)
2. Penn State (1)
3. Stanford (1)
4. USC
5. Minnesota
6. Washington
7. Michigan
8. Nebraska
9. Oregon
10. Florida
11. Hawaii
12. UCLA
13. Michigan State
14. BYU
15. Iowa State
16. Purdue
17. Kentucky
18. Louisville
19. Florida State
20. Kansas
