Lasers Look To Repeat in 2024; Voted Favorites in Preseason Poll
WINTHROP, Mass. – Reigning Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Women's Volleyball Champion Lasell was selected as the preseason favorite for the 2024 season.
The Lasers were picked atop the preseason poll in a vote conducted by the league's 16 head coaches this past week, earning 243 points in the voting, including nine of the 16 first place votes.
Lasell made history in which they finished the season with a program record 27 wins (12-3 in GNAC play), punching their ticket to the 2023 NCAA DIII Women’s Volleyball Tournament. However, the Lasers did not have an easy path as they landed the No. 4 in the GNAC tournament and defeated Rivier in the Quarterfinals and upsetting both top seeded Simmons and No. 2 Regis to claim the conference crown. Their season came to an end in the NCAA First Round at the hands of Johns Hopkins, finishing with an overall record of 27-5.
The GNAC tournament runner-up Regis was picked to finish second, earning three first-place votes. Johnson & Wales claimed the third spot with 221 points (one first-place vote).
Simmons, who went undefeated in GNAC play last season, was picked fourth with three first-place votes and Rivier followed up behind to round out the top five with 189 points.
Saint Joseph’s (Maine) (184), Emmanuel (168), New England College (130), Colby-Sawyer (108), and the University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) (107) rounded out the top 10 of the poll in that order.
Rounding out the rest of the poll in order was Dean (88), Mitchell (84), Norwich (68), Elms (58), Albertus Magnus (52), and Anna Maria (26).
First serve in the 2023 GNAC Women's Volleyball season is on Friday, Aug. 30 with teams kicking off non-conference action. The first league match takes place on Saturday, Sept 14. Teams will complete a 15-game single round robin conference season with the top 10 teams at the end of the regular season earning berths into the 2024 GNAC Women's Volleyball Championship Tournament. The bracket begins with a Play-In Round featuring the bottom four tournament seeds on Monday, Nov. 11. The winners of those games will advance to the GNAC Quarterfinals on Tuesday, Nov. 12 hoping for a chance to move on to the semifinals on Thursday, Nov. 4. The tournament will conclude with the GNAC Championship match on Saturday, Nov. 16 with winner claiming the title of GNAC Champion and earning the league's automatic qualifier into the 2024 NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Championship.
2024 GNAC Women's Volleyball Preseason Poll
|
1. |
Lasell |
243 (9) |
|
2. |
Regis |
233 (3) |
|
3. |
Johnson & Wales |
221 (1) |
|
4. |
Simmons |
217 (3) |
|
5. |
Rivier |
189 |
|
6. |
Saint Joseph's (Maine) |
184 |
|
7. |
Emmanuel |
168 |
|
8. |
New England College |
130 |
|
9. |
Colby-Sawyer |
108 |
|
10. |
University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) |
107 |
|
11. |
Dean |
88 |
|
12. |
Mitchell |
84 |
|
13. |
Norwich |
68 |
|
14. |
Elms |
58 |
|
15. |
Albertus Magnus |
52 |
|
16. |
Anna Maria |
26 |
ABOUT THE GREAT NORTHEAST ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 16 member institutions and over 4000 student-athletes across the New England region. Founded in 1995, the GNAC annually sponsors and administers 22 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunity and community involvement in an effort to enhance the student-athlete experience.
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