PAC Release

TRAFFORD, Pa. -- Allegheny College was voted second out of 11 teams in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Women's Volleyball Preseason Coaches' Poll, as announced by the conference office on Monday.

The Gators have finished no worse than fourth in the PAC standings since debuting in the conference in the fall of 2022. The runner-up prediction is one place higher than the PAC coaches picked Allegheny ahead of the 2023 campaign. This year's ranking also marks the first time in at least two decades that the Gators have been picked second or better in a conference preseason poll dating back to their membership in the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC).

Chatham University was selected as the PAC's preseason favorite. The Cougars, who reached the PAC Championship Tournament finals last season, received five first-place votes and 91 total points. Allegheny, which earned four first-place votes, had a total of 86 points. Grove City College (79), Westminster College (63), and Washington and Jefferson College (62) rounded out the top five.

The PAC also included five Allegheny student-athletes on its Players to Watch list for the upcoming season. Highlighting the quintet was junior libero Jacy Diaz (Barranquitas, Puerto Rico/Gallatin (Tenn.)), the reigning PAC Defensive Player of the Year and College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-American. Diaz is joined by seniors Dagney Javes (Frederick, Colo./Dawson School) and Meagan Robare (Moon Township, Pa./Moon Area), fellow junior Izzy Gray (Erie, Pa./Harbor Creek), and second-year outside hitter Angelee Bawek (Goodyear, Ariz./Estrella Foothills).