COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – UNLV and Utah State were selected as the preseason favorites after both collected 92 points in the preseason poll, as voted on by the Mountain West’s 11 head coaches. The Aggies secured five first-place votes, while the Rebels received three.
UNLV finished the 2022 season as regular-season champions and Utah State earned the MW Volleyball Championship trophy. Both teams made first round appearances to the 2022 NCAA Volleyball Tournament.
Colorado State slides in at third with 86 points and three first-place votes. New Mexico and San Diego State tie for fourth with 64 points each. Boise State voted sixth with 59 points. The Broncos were followed by Air Force in seventh (38 points), San José State in eighth (35 points), Nevada in ninth (32 points), Wyoming in 10th (28 points) and Fresno State in 11th (15 points).
UNLV outside hitter Isabel Martin has been voted the 2023 Mountain West Preseason Player of the Year. The senior was the Conference leader in kills, putting down 435 for the Rebels last season and averaged 3.88 kills per set. Following the 2022 season, the 2022 MW Player of the year was named AVCA All-American Honorable Mention. Filling out the rest of the All-MW Preseason Team is Joi Harvey (Air Force), Paige Bartsch (Boise State), Emery Herman (Colorado State), Kennedy Stanford (Colorado State), Jordi Holdaway (Utah State) and Tatum Stall (Utah State).
Of the seven student-athletes named to the preseason team, Harvey, Bartsch, Martin, Stanford and Stall all received 2022 All-MW honors.
The 2023 season begins Friday, Aug. 25
