WESTERVILLE, Ohio – The Marietta College volleyball team tied for first place atop the Ohio Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches Poll released Wednesday (August 21) morning by the league office. The Pioneers tied for first in the Poll with defending OAC Champion Otterbein University.
 
The Pioneers are coming off another strong campaign after finishing second in the regular season standings last fall. Marietta was knocked out of the OAC Tournament in the semifinals and finished the season 15-12 overall and 7-2 against conference opponents. With all of last year's key players returning, the Pioneers are poised to make a run at the OAC Championship in 2024.
 
"It is great to see others in the OAC believing that Marietta College Volleyball has the potential to do great things," said Head Coach Kristy Newman. "However, in order to reach that potential, we have to show up in the gym day in and day out wanting to push each other, handle the difficulties and rise to the challenges that are set in front of us."
 
Even though both squads tout the same amount of preseason ranking points (75), the Pioneers edged the Cardinals, last season's OAC title-winners, receiving one extra first place vote. The Pioneers received five first place votes to Otterbein's four. Mount Union received the other first place vote on the way to 67 total points and third place in the rankings. Rounding out the top five were Ohio Northern with 58 points and John Carroll with 45 points.
 
Baldwin Wallace (42 points) was sixth with Heidelberg (37 points) at seventh. Muskingum sits in eighth (25 points) and Wilmington and Capital are tied for ninth with 13 points each.
 
Marietta opens the season on Friday (August 30) when they participate in the Mount Union Invitational. They will battle Rochester at 8 p.m. that evening. The Pioneers are on the road for a while before they return home to play their first home matchup. Their home opener is September 21st when they welcome Case Western Reserve and Wittenberg in a tri-match. The match begins at 1 p.m.
 
The complete poll is below.  First place votes are in parenthesis.
 
OAC Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll:
T1. Marietta — 75 (5)
T1. Otterbein — 75 (4)
3. Mount Union — 67 (1)
4. Ohio Northern — 58
5. John Carroll — 45
6. Baldwin Wallace — 42
7. Heidelberg — 37
8. Muskingum — 25
T9. Capital — 13
T9. Wilmington — 13