CARMEL, Ind. – The Manchester University volleyball team was picked to finish ninth this season, as announced in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) Preseason Poll released on Thursday, August 24.

2023 HCAC Volleyball Preseason Poll & Athletes to Watch

In a vote amongst league coaches, the Transylvania University Pioneers were picked to finish first in the 2023 HCAC volleyball season, garnering nine first-place votes in route to 81 points. Just narrowly finishing behind in second place was Mount St. Joseph University, who posted 72 points and grabbed the other available first-place nod. The defending 2021 regular season champions Earlham College finished in third with 61 points. Hanover College (59) and Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (44) finished out the top-half of the poll, finishing in fourth and fifth place, respectively.

The Black & Gold were slated to finish in ninth place with 24 points. Defiance College rounds out the HCAC preseason poll in tenth place with12 points.

Four Spartans were tabbed as "Players to Watch" by the league office, including senior outside hitter Joy Maze (Greenwood, Ind., Greenwood Community), juniors Carley Camp (Logansport, Ind., Logansport) and Jessica Tarr (Fort Wayne, Ind., Snider), and sophomore Avery Ball (Decatur, Ind., Belmont). 

The 2023 season kicks off on Friday, September 1 as the Spartans travel to Sandusky, Ohio to compete in the Great Lakes Crossover hosted by Heidelberg University. 

HCAC play will begin on Wednesday, September 29 with a road match against the Earlham College Quakers.