BOSTON – After their third-straight domination in the #AEChamps, UMBC was selected to sit atop the 2023 America East Volleyball Preseason Poll. The poll was released Friday afternoon and was voted on by the league's head coaches.
The Retrievers edged out last year's regular season champions, earning 24 points and four first-place votes, while the Bearcats tallied 21 points and the remaining two first-place votes. Coming off their first finals appearance since 2016, New Hampshire rounds out the top-3 with their 18 point total.
Volleyball Preseason Poll
| Pl. |
School |
Points (1st) |
| 1. |
UMBC |
24 (4) |
| 2. |
Binghamton |
21 (2) |
| 3. |
New Hampshire |
18 |
| 4. |
Bryant |
12 |
| 5. |
UAlbany |
9 |
| 6. |
NJIT |
6 |
What to Watch For:
- UMBC returns all but one student-athlete from their 2022 championship roster, highlighted by the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, Mila Ilieva, the 2022 Defensive Specialist of the Year, Aysia Miller, and the 2021 Rookie of the Year, Mia Bilusic. The team also welcomes four newcomers, including their first top-100 recruit in program history.
- Led by the 2022 Coaching Staff and Player of the Year, Binghamton is coming off their first-ever regular season title and will look to make their first finals appearance since 2017.
- Last season came down to final week of play to determine seeding and hosting rights, with both New Hampshire and Bryant emerging as top-contenders and strong opponents in the championship, and will look to prove themselves again this year.
- The Retrievers and Bearcats both welcomed new head coaches for the 2022 season and after strong years at the helm for both, they will each look to continue bringing their teams to new heights in 2023.
The season begins on Friday, August 25 with all six teams in action. UMBC and New Hampshire open on the road, with the Retrievers taking on Ohio, while New Hampshire travels to Indiana for a season opening double-header. Binghamton hosts the lone home match of the day as they welcome Merrimack into town. Conference play is set to begin Friday, September 29th and features an #AEChamps rematch as UMBC will travel up to Rhode Island to take on Bryant.
The 2023 #AEVB championship will consist of the league's top four teams and will be hosted by the top-seeded program. Dependent on the host-site, the championship will take place either Nov. 17th and 18th or Nov. 18th and 19th.
Fans will once again be able to watch nearly every #AEVB contest this season. Select games will air on The AE on ESPN while others will air on AmericaEast.TV. Those games will be available on computers, OTT devices and the America East app, which is available on all IOS and Android devices and can be found by searching 'America East Conference' in app stores.
About America East: The America East provides its member schools and their athletic programs a platform upon which student-athletes can achieve both collegiate and life success through the promotion and nurturing of athletic excellence, academic achievement and leadership, on and off the field.
– Building the Complete Student-Athlete -