Women's Volleyball Picked to Finish Second in CNE Preseason Poll

BOSTON, Mass. – Defending Conference of New England (formerly Commonwealth Coast Conference) champion Wentworth Institute of Technology has been picked to finish second in the CNE Preseason Coaches' Poll, announced by the league on Friday afternoon.

The Leopards, who ran the table in regular-season and the conference tournament a season ago, en route to their first conference championship since the 2018 campaign, picked up a total of 93 points. Endicott, which the Black & Gold defeated, 3-2, in a thrilling championship match a season ago, was picked first, with 95 points. The two teams atop the poll split the total number of first-place votes with each picking up five.

After a 23-6 record in 2023, Wentworth returns 16 letterwinners, including sophomore Emma Sanders (Mount Pleasant, S.C.) who earned the league's player of the year and rookie of the year honors, as well as being named an AVCA Honorable Mention All-America. Sanders led the league in kills per set (3.82), while also hitting .276 and recorded 221 digs in a sensational rookie campaign.

Sophomores Kate McLane (Columbus, Ohio) and Olivia Vaughn (Bolingbrook, Ill.), both second team all-league selections as rookies, return for the Black & Gold. McLane averaged 3.37 kills per set and led the team with 45 service aces, while Vaughn averaged 9.68 assists per set for an offense that averaged almost 12 kills per set.

Junior Riley Schoonmaker (Montgomery, N.Y.), the 2022 league rookie of the year and a third team all-league selection in 2023 returns after averaging 1.13 kills and 0.70 blocks per set. Classmate Amanda Zweifler (Jersey City, N.J.), who was also a third team selection in her first campaign for the Leopards averaged 3.32 digs per set and was second on the team with 44 service aces.

Nick Baldecchi, who is entering his second season, was tabbed as the league's coach of the year in 2023.

Wentworth opens the 2024 season on Friday, August 30, with a 6:00 p.m. match against Emmanuel.

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