Aug. 16, 2011

By Leah Sakdol
Athletic Media Relations

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The No. 15 Colorado State Rams were picked to win the 2011 Mountain West volleyball title, the conference announced Tuesday. If the Rams do, it will be their third straight MW title and the 13th in program history.

The Rams received five first-place votes from a panel made up of the eight MW head volleyball coaches, giving them 60 points. New Mexico, the 2010 runner-up, sits at a close second with three first-place votes and 56 points. San Diego State was selected to round out the top three with 51 points.

For the fourth year in a row, a CSU player has been named the MW Preseason Player of the Year, this time junior MB Megan Plourde. In 2010, Plourde led the conference and ranked nationally with an average of 1.62 blocks per set. In the first round of the NCAA tournament, Plourde set a school record and MW season-high 19 blocks vs. Cal State Fullerton (Dec. 3).

Other players on the preseason all-MW team were senior MB Ashley Rhoades from New Mexico, junior MB Andrea Hannasch from San Diego State, senior MB Kristen Hester from TCU and junior OH Jodi Purdy from Wyoming. TCU junior Megan Munce was named preseason all-MW setter while New Mexico senior Allison Buck was named preseason all-MW libero.

Colorado State opens the 2011 season at the Arkansas Invitational, which begins Aug. 26. The Rams return to Moby Arena Sept. 2 to host Nebraska at 7 p.m.

2011 MW Preseason Women's Volleyball Coaches' Poll

2011 Preseason Women's Volleyabll All-Mountain West Team

Libero: Allison Buck, Sr., New Mexico
Setter: Megan Munce, Jr., TCU
Preseason Player of the Year: Megan Plourde, Colorado State