SAN FRANCISCO – Six Pac-12 women’s volleyball teams are ranked in the first American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Coaches Top 25 of the 2022 campaign, which was revealed Monday, Aug. 15. The Conference’s six programs in the preseason poll are the second-most among all leagues.

Washington, who was was picked as the favorite to repeat as Conference champions, leads Pac-12 teams at No. 8. The Huskies are followed by No. 12 UCLA, No. 14 Stanford, No. 19 Oregon, No. 22 Utah and No. 24 USC who are among the Pac-12 schools in the initial rankings, while Washington State is receiving votes. 

Pac-12 institutions have won 17 of the 41 all-time NCAA championships in women’s volleyball, four more than the next closest conference, and four of the past 11. A Pac-12 team has been one of the final four teams in all but five years of the NCAA Tournament and at least one Pac-12 team has played in 27 of the 41 NCAA title matches all-time, the most of any league.

The Pac-12 returns eight second and third-team AVCA All-Americans from a season ago, including two-time defending Pac-12 Setter of the Year Ella May Powell (Washington). Returning second-team AVCA All-Americans includes Caitie Baird (Stanford), Marin Grote (Washington), Kendall Kipp (Stanford) and Brooke Nuneviller (Oregon). The three third-team AVCA All-Americans include incoming transfer Skylar Fields (USC), Claire Hoffman (Washington) and Magda Jehlarova (Washington State).

The regular season begins on Friday, Aug. 26, with all 12 Conference teams in action. The league's teams will be featured 106 times this season across Pac-12 Networks and Pac-12 Insider, which is available on Pac-12.com and the Pac-12 Now app, as well as eight partner platforms, including Local Now, Redbox, Samsung TV Plus, Sling, Sportstribal, The Roku Channel, Vizio and Xumo.

2022 AVCA PRESEASON POLL

Others receiving votes and listed on two or more ballots: WASHINGTON STATE 104; Miami (FL) 101; Tennessee 83; Michigan 66; North Carolina 66; Pepperdine 60; UCF 55; Mississippi State 51; Rice 50; Hawai'i 48; Florida State 43; Marquette 40; Ball State 18; Dayton 14; South Alabama 5; Texas State 3.