Official WCC Release

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Santa Clara volleyball has received a West Coast Conference-leading three Preseason All-WCC selections and was picked to finish third in conference this season, announced by the WCC Tuesday. Seniors Nikki Hess and Sabrina Clayton as well as junior Kirsten Mead were among the 10 players named to the All-WCC Preseason Volleyball Team. 

The preseason poll and preseason All-WCC squad are voted on solely by the league's 10 head coaches. 

Hess, a 2015 AVCA Honorable Mention All-American and First Team All-WCC selection, started all 31 matches for the Broncos last season and finished fifth in the WCC with 4.02 kills/set. She was named First Team All-WCC in 2014 and landed a spot on the WCC All-Freshman Team in 2013. 

Clayton notched 0.42 aces/set in 2015 to lead the WCC in that category for the second straight year. She has picked up all-conference honors in each of her three years with the Broncos. 

Mead's 11.06 assists/set were good for second in the conference last year. She was named First Team AVCA All-Pacific North Region and First Team All-WCC for her performance as a sophomore. She was the conference's Freshman of the Year in 2014. 

The Broncos received two of 10 first place votes and totaled 67 points in the preseason poll. They finished one point behind reigning conference champion BYU (68 points, one first-place vote). San Diego (78 points, seven first-place votes) was picked to win the WCC.

Santa Clara begins the season Friday, Aug. 26 against UC Irvine at the USC Baden Invitational in Los Angeles. They face USC and Marquette Saturday, Aug. 27.

2016 WCC Preseason Volleyball Coaches Poll

2016 All-WCC Preseason Volleyball Team

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