Edison, N.J. (August 25, 2021) – Today, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) announced that Fairfield University was voted the 2021 volleyball preseason favorite by the league’s 10 head coaches.
Fairfield went 9-1 in the spring last season and took home the regular season championship. The Stags, unfortunately, had to withdraw from the MAAC Championship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Fairfield has three players named to the Preseason All-MAAC Team, including NCAA Woman of the Year Nominee and three-time MAAC Setter of the Year Manuela Nicolini.
Reigning MAAC Champions, Rider University, was voted second place with 87 points and two first-place votes. The Broncs Morgan Romano was voted the Preseason Player of the Year. Romano was named the 2020-21 Player of the Year last spring after she and her Preseason All-MAAC Teammate Anilee Sher helped lead the 4-4 regular season Broncs to three-straight wins in the MAAC Championship to take home the title.
Canisius College was ranked third (74) and Quinnipiac University fourth (70) in the preseason poll. The Griffs and Bobcats met in the first round of the MAAC Championship tournament last season as Canisius got the victory, 3-1. Canisius would go on to make it to the championship game before falling to the Broncs, 3-1. The Griffs also return two 2020-21 All-MAAC Players in Hannah Nelson and Ella Loussia. Quinnipiac and Canisius will be looking for their first MAAC Championship in program history after both teams have finished as the runner-up twice since 2016.
Marist and Niagara were ranked fifth (61) and sixth (56) in the preseason poll respectively. The Purple Eagles reached the semifinals in last season’s MAAC Championship and are returning the 2020-21 Libero of the Year and Rookie of the Year in Amanda Darling, who was also named to the Preseason All-MAAC Team and her 2020-21 All-MAAC teammate Jaycie Roberts. Marist was unable to compete in the 2020-21 MAAC Championship due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Iona College (41), Siena (28), Manhattan (25) and Saint Peter’s (13) round out the rest of the preseason poll.
Siena is set to host the 2021 MAAC Volleyball Championship Friday, Nov. 19 through Sunday, Nov. 21. The MAAC Volleyball Championship will again feature the top eight teams in a single-elimination tournament.
Below is the full poll and preseason honors list:
2021 MAAC PRESEASON COACHES' POLL
|
Institution |
Points (First Place Votes) |
| 1 |
Fairfield |
96 (6) |
| 2 |
Rider |
87 (2) |
| 3 |
Canisius |
74 (1) |
| 4 |
Quinnipiac |
70 (1) |
| 5 |
Marist |
61 |
| 6 |
Niagara |
56 |
| 7 |
Iona |
41 |
| 8 |
Siena |
28 |
| 9 |
Manhattan |
25 |
| 10 |
Saint Peter's |
13 |
2021 PRESEASON ALL-MAAC TEAM
| Player |
Position |
Institution |
| Amanda Darling |
Libero |
Niagara |
| Luci Albertson |
Middle Hitter |
Fairfield |
| Fleur Wiersma |
Middle Hitter |
Iona |
| Joelle Battles |
Outside Hitter |
Fairfield |
| Ella Loussia |
Outside Hitter |
Canisius |
| Morgan Romano |
Outside Hitter |
Rider |
| Manuela Nicolini |
Setter |
Fairfield |
| Anilee Sher |
Setter |
Rider |
About the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
With 11 institutions strongly bound by the sound principles of quality and integrity in academics and excellence in athletics, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) is in its 41st year of competition during the 2021-22 academic year. Current conference members include: Canisius College, Fairfield University, Iona College, Manhattan College, Marist College, Monmouth University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena College.