Preseason MW volleyball team
Deedra Foss, Colorado State
Dri Culbert, Colorado State
Kelsey Snider, Colorado State
Chantale Riddle, New Mexico
Allison Davies, UNLV
Erin Kirby, Wyoming
Elle Brainard, Utah State
Player of the year — Riddle
Setter of the year — Foss
Libero of the year — Davies, UNLV
Preseason MW volleyball poll
Voting done by conference coaches; First-place votes in parenthesis.
CSU (7) 97
NM (4) 91
USU 81
SDSU 73
Wyoming 55
BSU 54
UNLV 50
FSU 40
AFA 31
SJSU 21
Nevada 12
FORT COLLINS — Coaches in the Mountain West still believe the route to the volleyball title still runs through Colorado State, but they also expect the road to be a bit bumpier.
That falls in line with what CSU coach Tom Hilbert expected, with his Rams — the five-time defending conference champs — out in front with New Mexico hot on their tail.
Conference coaches gave No. 18 CSU seven first-place votes, earning 97 points, while four others selected the Lobos on top, finishing with 41 points.
Utah State was third with 81 points.
“It’s our goal. Not that I’m being cocky, but when you win it as much as we do and you return five of seven starters, people are going to pick that,” Hilbert said. “New Mexico got a lot of first-place votes though, which I was happy to see, because they’re legitimately very good. They are clear-cut the most experienced team returning in the Mountain West. You’ve just got to go do it.”
Colorado State was also well represented on the preseason All-MW team, as senior setter Deedra Foss was picked as the setter of the year, and opposite hitter Dri Culbert and middle blocker Kelsey Snider were on the seven-person squad.
All three of the Rams were named to the 2013 all-Mountain West team, with Foss named the setter of the year. Foss and Culbert also earned honorable mention All-American recognition from the AVCA. However, Culbert may be sidelined when the Rams play their first two matches of the season at Moby Arena on Aug. 30. Culbert twisted a knee in Friday’s practice, and while Hilbert said he was expecting the worse, the MRI on her knee showed no structural damage.
Culbert averaged 2.53 kills per set while hitting at a .305 clip. A strong all-around performer, the junior was second on the team in digs (303) and aces (42) averaging .51 blocks per set.
“She’s day-to-day,” Hilbert said. “We are planning that she might not be available, but we hope to get her back. It’s one of these things where let’s get these guys game ready and see when she comes back. As important as she is to the team, she could sit out until next Thursday and we’re still going to play her.”
Foss averaged 11.76 assists and .82 blocks per set last year with a team-leading 43 aces. Snider, who was an outside hitter as a sophomore, hitting at a .360 clip while averaging 2.60 kills and 1.04 blocks per set.
Snider admitted she was hoping she would make the team, but knowing she’s earned that type of respect around the league is humbling. Still it was just one goal she had in mind for the season.
“Being named preseason all-conference, yeah, that’s a huge expectation from other people, which is great,” Snider said. “I know I have to work hard and meet those expectations. I definitely want to get all-conference, maybe All-American this year. My bar is already set pretty high, then that just adds another level.”
New Mexico’s Chantale Riddle was picked as the preseason player of the year and Allison Davies of UNLV was the libero of the year.
Contact Sports Editor Mike Brohard at 970-635-3633 or mbrohard@reporter-herald.com and at twitter.com/mbrohard