PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Plymouth State University women's volleyball team was picked to repeat as Little East Conference (LEC) champions as the league announced its Preseason Coaches' Poll on Tuesday.
 
Plymouth State earned seven first-place votes and 63 points to top the poll, with UMass Dartmouth ranking second with 57 points and the other two first-place votes. The two teams have met in the LEC Tournament championship match each of the past three seasons.
 
UMass Boston (46) edged WestConn (43) for third, while Eastern Connecticut (38) and Keene State (32) rounded out the top six. Rhode Island College (21), Southern Maine (15) and VTSU Castleton (9) complete the poll.
 
Head coach Joan Forge starts her ninth season after guiding PSU to the NCAA Tournament for the second time in school history following a 23-8 campaign last fall. The Panthers went 6-2 in the LEC before cruising through the LEC Tournament with wins over Keene State, UMass Boston and UMass Dartmouth to earn the program's second tournament crown. PSU fell to No. 12 Ithaca in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
 
Sophomore middle hitter Sya McKay (Somersworth, N.H.) returns after claiming LEC Rookie of the Year and All-LEC First Team honors a year ago. McKay led the conference with 103 blocks and ranked third with a .292 hitting percentage after recording 280 kills.
 
Junior setter Danielle Emerson (Biddeford, Maine) ranked fourth in the LEC in aces and will direct the offense, while senior rightside hitter Annalyn Cahill (Mystic, Conn.) and junior middle hitter Sydney Riley (Haverhill, Mass.) had breakout seasons, combining for 453 kills and 151 blocks last fall.
 
Plymouth State opens the season at New England College on Sept. 1 before hosting Fitchburg State in the home opener on Sept. 2. The Panthers visit Rhode Island College to start league play on Sept. 26. The top six teams in the final regular-season standings will qualify for the LEC Tournament, with the top two seeds earning first-round byes.