With the start of the 2011 women's volleyball season just over a week away, the George Mason Patriots were predicted to finish fifth in the Colonial Athletic Association, as determined by a vote of the league's head coaches.
Mason, which won the 2009 CAA
title, returns five starters. Leading the group are senior outside hitter
Noelle Fanella and sophomore outside hitter Lana Zonjic. Fanella earned
second-team All-CAA status last season and ranked second in the conference in
service aces per set (0.40). Zonjic was the CAA Co-Rookie of the Year and
ranked third for the Patriots with 255.5 points, including 212 kills and 214
digs. Also returning is senior middle blocker Kelsey Bohman, who topped the
conference with 122 blocks, which ranked 12th in the nation.
The Patriots finished the 2010 season 14-12 with a 9-5 mark in conference play. That was good for a fourth-place tie in the standings, but due to tiebreakers, Mason missed out on the four-team championship tournament. The field for the 2011 CAA Championship has been expanded to include the top six teams.
Delaware, the defending CAA champions, received five first-place
votes and 72 points to earn the top spot, but four other teams also received at
least one first-place vote in the preseason poll. James Madison was chosen
second in the poll, receiving two first-place votes and 67 overall points.
Northeastern earned a first-place vote and 62 points to rank third. VCU was
picked fourth after garnering 60 points and a first-place vote. George Mason
notched fifth with 53 points and also picked up a first place vote. Georgia
State was sixth in the poll, followed by William & Mary and Towson, who
tied for seventh, with Hofstra and UNC Wilmington rounding out the preseason
poll.
The 2011 season gets underway with the D.C. Volleyball Challenge, where the Patriots will open the year facing Georgetown at 5 p.m. on August 26 at American's Bender Arena. Mason's home schedule begins on September 3 with the annual Patriot Invitational.
The 2011 Fall Sports Season Pass, which includes admission
into men's soccer, women's soccer and women's volleyball home contests, is
currently on sale for only $30. Fans can purchase the season pass online at
GoMason.com or by calling the Mason Athletic Ticket Office at 703-993-3270.
