The Wayne State volleyball team will start the 2023 season with its highest preseason ranking in team history.
The Wildcats were picked No. 4 in the AVCA/Tarflex preseason poll that was released Tuesday. They are ranked behind defending champion West Texas A&M, national runner-up Concordia-St. Paul and MSU Denver in the poll, which includes voting from 47 Div. II coaches across the country.
West Texas A&M received 42 first-place votes, while the Golden Bears picked up the other five.
Wayne State and Concordia-St. Paul are among five Northern Sun Conference teams in the preseason top 25. All five area ranked in the top 11, with St. Cloud State at No. 7, Minnesota Duluth at No. 8 and Southwest Minnesota State at No. 11.
Other Central Region schools in the preseason rankings include Northwest Missouri State (13), Nebraska-Kearney (16) and Washburn (17).
Wayne State opens the 2023 season facing No. 16 Nebraska-Kearney in an exhibition match at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 30 at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln on Volleyball Day in Nebraska. They open the regular season on Friday, Sept. 1 at the Golden Eagle Invitational in Irvine, Calif., facing Cal State East Bay at 4 p.m.
The AVCA/Taraflex Div. II preseason poll is as follows:
1. West Texas A&M
2. Concordia-St. Paul
3. MSU Denver
4. Wayne State
5. Tampa
6. Barry
7. St. Cloud State
8. Minnesota Duluth
9. Cal State L.A.
10. Missouri-St. Louis
11. SW Minnesota State
12. West Florida
13. NW Missouri State
14. Alaska-Anchorage
15. Western Washington
16. Nebraska-Kearney
17. Washburn
18. Regis
19. Cal State San Bernardino
20. Wingate
21. Colorado Mesa
22. Colorado School of Mines
23. Cal Poly Pomona
24. Gannon
25. Lynn
