SAN MATEO, Calif. – Defending WCC Champion BYU was chosen to repeat and win the program’s eighth West Coast Conference Championship in the annual WCC Preseason Coaches Poll.
The preseason poll and the All-WCC team were selected solely by a vote of the conference’s 10 head coaches. Coaches cannot vote for their own teams and student-athletes.
BYU (15-1 WCC) captured its seventh WCC championship in program history and sixth in the last seven years during the 2020-21 Spring Season. The Cougars enter the 2021 Fall season ranked No. 15 in the preseason AVCA National Poll and earned the maximum 81 points in the coaches balloting with nine first place votes. BYU was ranked in the top-20 for the duration of the 2020-21 season, reaching as high as No. 12 in Week Three.
San Diego (12-4 WCC) was picked second in the poll with 70 points and enter the year ranked No. 20 in the preseason top-25. The Toreros spent the entire spring season in the top-25 poll, reaching as high as No. 17 in Week Six, and picked up the final first-place vote. San Diego opens the 2021 Fall season ranked No. 20 in the preseason AVCA National Poll.
Pepperdine (16-2 WCC) was picked third with 68 points after spending the last seven weeks of 2020-21 in the AVCA National Poll. The Waves finished second overall in the 2021 WCC spring standings and handed BYU its only conference loss in Malibu. Pepperdine carries a No. 22 preseason ranking into the 2021 fall campaign.
BYU, Pepperdine and San Diego all advanced to the NCAA Tournament and all won their opening postseason match. It marked the 10th straight season the WCC has sent multiple teams to the NCAA Tournament.
LMU was picked fourth (57 points), Santa Clara was fifth (49 points) and Saint Mary’s was sixth (38 points).
ALL-WCC PRESEASON TEAM NOTES
- 10 of 16 members of the squad earned All-WCC First Team honors in the 2020-21 Spring Season and three were named to the All-WCC Second Team
- All 2020-21 Spring Major Individual Award honorees earned spots on the preseason All-WCC Team
- BYU’s Whitney Bower – Player of the Year & Setter of the Year
- Pepperdine’s Meg Brown – Freshman of the Year
- Pepperdine’s Madison Shields – Libero of the Year
- Preseason All-WCC Team features four 2020-21 AVCA All-Americans
- Rachel Ahrens, Pepperdine (HM)
- Taylen Ballard-Nixon, BYU (HM)
- Whitney Bower, BYU (HM)
- Kennedy Eschenberg, BYU (3rd)
- All-WCC Preseason Team features seven 2020-21 AVCA All-Region Selections
- Rachel Ahrens, Pepperdine
- Taylen Ballard-Nixon, BYU
- Whitney Bower, BYU
- Kennedy Eschenberg, BYU
- Kate Grimmer, BYU
- Julia Sangiacomo, Santa Clara
- Isabel Zelaya, Pepperdine
- Seven programs placed at least one on the 16-member preseason squad, led by five from BYU and four from Pepperdine
2021 WCC Volleyball Preseason Poll
| Place |
Team |
First Place |
Points |
| 1. |
BYU |
9 |
81 |
| 2. |
San Diego |
1 |
70 |
| 3. |
Pepperdine |
|
68 |
| 4. |
LMU |
|
57 |
| 5. |
Santa Clara |
|
49 |
| 6. |
Saint Mary’s |
|
38 |
| 7. |
Gonzaga |
|
29 |
| 8. |
Pacific |
|
27 |
| 9. |
San Francisco |
|
19 |
| 10. |
Portland |
|
12 |
| 2021 All-WCC Volleyball First Team |
|
|
| Name |
Institution |
Yr. |
Pos. |
|
| Rachel Ahrens |
Pepperdine |
Jr. |
OH/OPP |
| Taylen Ballard-Nixon |
BYU |
Sr.* |
OH |
|
| Elena Baka |
Saint Mary’s |
Jr. |
OH |
|
| Whitney Bower |
BYU |
So. |
S |
|
| Meg Brown |
Pepperdine |
So. |
MB |
|
| Kennedy Eschenberg |
BYU |
Sr.* |
MB |
|
| Grace Frohling |
San Diego |
Jr. |
OPP/S |
|
| Kari Geissberger |
LMU |
So. |
OH |
|
| Heather Gneiting |
BYU |
Jr. |
MB |
|
| Kate Grimmer |
BYU |
So. |
OPP |
|
| Alyssa Hughes |
Gonzaga |
Jr. |
MB |
|
| Katie Lukes |
San Diego |
Sr. |
OH |
|
| Megan Rice |
LMU |
Sr. |
OH |
|
| Madison Shields |
Pepperdine |
Sr. |
LIB |
|
| Julia Sangiacomo |
Santa Clara |
Jr. |
OH |
|
| Isabel Zelaya |
Pepperdine |
So. |
S/OPP |
|
|
|
|
|
|