LIVONIA, Mich. -- The coaches of the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) have selected Madonna University's Volleyball team as its preseason favorite for the upcoming season announced on Monday.

The Crusaders garnered 114 points with four first-place votes as it comes off of a 26-14 record, 14-6 in the WHAC capped off with an appearance in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) tournament. Madonna defeated Indiana University at South Bend 3-2 in Livonia during the opening round of competition before traveling to Sioux City, Iowa for group play. The Crusaders went 1-2, nabbing a victory over No. 24 Reinhardt University 3-2 to end its postseason run.

Aquinas College (Mich.) is slated second with 113 points and six first-place votes. Indiana Tech University is predicted third with 94 points ahead of Cornerstone University (Mich.) in fourth with 89 points and Lawrence Technical University (Mich.) in fifth with 74 points and one first-place vote, respectively. The Blue Devils took down Madonna in the 2019 WHAC Tournament Championship by a score of three sets to one.

Lourdes University (Ohio) is picked sixth with 71 points over Siena Heights University (Mich.) in seventh with 52 points, University of Northwest Ohio in eighth with 38, Concordia University Ann Arbor in ninth with 29, and both Rochester University (Mich.) and University of Michigan Dearborn tied for tenth with 26 points each, respectively, to round out the poll.

WHAC Women's Volleyball Preseason Poll
1. Madonna (4)  114 pts  (14-6)
2. Aquinas (6)  113 pts  (14-6)
3. Indiana Tech  94 pts  (13-7)
4. Cornerstone  89 pts  (12-8)
5. Lawrence Tech  (1)  74 pts (20-0)
6. Lourdes  71 pts  (10-10)
7. Siena Heights  52 pts  (7-13)
8. UNOH   38 pts  (13-7)
9. Concordia  29 pts  (2-18)
10T. Rochester  26 pts  (1-19)
10T. UM-Dearborn  26 pts  (4-16)
 
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