NORTH DARTMOUTH, Mass. -  The Keene State College volleyball team is perched atop the Little East Conference preseason coaches' poll for the second-straight season after a vote by the conferences' seven head coaches. The Owls earned four of the seven first place votes for a total of 43 points to outdistance themselves from Western Connecticut State University and Plymouth State University.

Under the direction of Head Coach Bob Weiner, Keene State enjoyed the program's most successful season last fall, tying the Owls' single-season wins record (25) and capturing the conference's regular season title. The Owls posted an overall record of 25-12, including sweeping the Little East Conference circuit with a 6-0 mark. Keene State was upset in the semifinal round of the conference tournament, but qualified for its second straight Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Div. III New England Tournament. Weiner will welcome back an experienced squad that features eight letterwinners from 2007, including a pair of first-team all-conference selections in senior middle hitter Brittany O'Bryant (Merrimack, N.H.) and junior setter Jordan Pokryfki (Wasilla, Alaska). The Owls open the 2008 campaign against MIT at 11 a.m. on August 30.  

Head Coach Greg Poole led the 2007 Colonials to the program's best record in the past three seasons, boasting an overall mark of 19-12. Western Connecticut secured the second ranking with a first place and three second place votes for a total of 37 points. Poole and his charges closed strong down the stretch, wining nine consecutive matches--seven in straight sets-to advance to the championship round of the annual Little East Conference Championship Tournament. The Colonials made the program's second appearance in the ECAC Division III Championship Tournament. Sophomore outside hitter Natalie Crosby (East Haven, Conn.), the 2007 Little East Conference Rookie of the Year, will pace nine returners from last fall. Western Connecticut will make its 2008 debut at St. Joseph (Conn.) at 7 p.m. on Sept. 3.

Plymouth State is seeded third in the annual rankings after five of its seven votes were cast in the top three. The Panthers recorded a 20-12 overall record in 2007, marking the eighth time in the past 10 years with at least 20 victories. Under the leadership of Head Coach Moira Long, Plymouth State advanced to postseason play for the sixth-straight season, earning a bid to the ECAC Div. III Tournament. Senior defensive specialist Sarah Spears (Meredith, N.H.), the 2007 Little East Conference Defensive Player of the Year, will headline 12 returners and five starters from the '07 edition. The Panthers begin the 2008 season at the Colby College Invitational against Gordon College at 8 p.m. on Sept. 5.

The top six teams in the final regular season standings advance to the 2008 Little East Conference Championship Tournament with the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds receiving a bye and the right to host a semifinal contest. The two semifinal winners advance to the championship round on Nov. 8 at the highest remaining seed with the conference's automatic berth to the NCAA Division III Championship on the line.      

Completing the preseason poll in projected order of finish are Rhode Island College (24), University of Massachusetts Boston (23), Eastern Connecticut State University (20), and University of Massachusetts Dartmouth (13).

                               2008 Little East Conference Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll