ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – After finishing second in the regular season for each of the past two years, MIAC coaches think that this is the year that the College of Saint Benedict volleyball team makes the leap into the top spot.
 
For the first time since 2009, CSB is the team to beat in the MIAC Preseason Coaches' Poll, which was released Monday afternoon. Saint Benedict received seven of the possible 12 first-place votes and tallied 114 points to finish first in the voting, which is done by the league's 12 head coaches. When CSB was last predicted to win the conference in 2009, it went 10-1 in league play and finished first in the regular season and later won the MIAC tournament title.
 
Gustavus was picked second after sweeping the regular-season and tournament titles in 2018, and St. Thomas was picked third. The Gusties received three first-place votes, and both the Tommies and Augsburg – which was selected fourth – garnered one first-place vote. Bethel rounded out the top five, just one point ahead of St. Olaf.
 
CSB – which is ranked 25^th in Division III heading into the season – returns several key players from the 2018 lineup that made a run to the NCAA Sweet 16, including twin juniors Hunter Weiss and Madison Weiss, who both earned All-American accolades last season. The duo, along with junior setter Katie Koch, also earned All-MIAC First Team honors in 2018.
 
Saint Benedict will face some big tests right away in 2019. CSB travels to San Antonio, Texas, Friday and Saturday for the Trinity National Invitational where it faces off against No. 15 Mary Hardin-Baylor and No. 17 Trinity, then heads to Eau Claire, Wis., to take on fourth-ranked UW-Eau Claire Wednesday, Sept. 4.