CSU favored to win MWC volleyball

By Wyoming Sports.org

Defending league volleyball champion Colorado State has been picked as the favorite to win the 2008 Mountain West Conference regular season title, according to a panel of all nine league coaches and selected media.

The Rams collected 13 first-place votes and 125 total points. Utah tallied 95 points to claim second-place in the poll, while BYU edged New Mexico by one point for third place totaling 82 points (one first-place vote). The Lobos collected 81 points for fourth place in the poll. UNLV (63 points) and TCU (56 points) claimed fifth and sixth place, respectively, followed by San Diego State (seventh, 48 points), Wyoming (eighth, 28 points) and Air Force (ninth, 15 points).

Colorado State senior middle blocker and 2007 MWC Player of the Year Mekana Barnes highlighted the preseason all-Mountain West Conference team, as she was tabbed the preseason MWC Player of the Year. Four MWC teams were represented on the 2008 preseason all-MWC team, which also was chosen by the coaches and selected media.

The 2008 season will see nine all-Mountain West Conference players return, including 2007 MWC Player of the Year Mekana Barnes (Colorado State) and 2007 Freshman of the Year Lisa Meeter (New Mexico). Also returning for defending regular-season champion Colorado State will be Jaime Strauss (Sr., OH) and Ashley Fornstrom (Sr., S).

Barnes was named Third-Team AVCA All-America in 2007, while Strauss and Fornstrom garnered honorable mention All-American acclaim. BYU's Rachel Dyer (Sr., MB) returns for the Cougars. Dyer led the league in hitting percentage in overall (.411) and conference matches (.408) last season, while also finishing in the top-10 in kills (10th, 3.34 kpg) and blocks (fifth, 1.31 bpg). Jeanne Fairchild (Sr., OH) is also back for New Mexico. Fairchild led the MWC in kills per game in conference matches (4.87). Melody Nua (Sr., S) returns to lead 2007 MWC Tournament Champion UNLV. Nua finished third in the league in assists in both overall (13.16 apg) and conference matches (13.39 apg) in 2007. Utah's Lori Baird will be back for the Utes in 2008. The two-time Honorable Mention AVCA All-Region honoree will be anchored by the return of 2006 AVCA All-American Emillie Toone, who missed the 2007 season with a knee injury.

The 2008 season is set to start on Aug. 29, with eight of nine conference teams in action. Conference play begins on Sept. 17, with TCU hosting New Mexico.