FAIRFAX, Va. – For the first time this century, George Mason University's men's volleyball team is the coaches' favorite to win the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association.

In the 2017 EIVA Preseason Coaches' Poll released on Monday, seven of the conference's eight head coaches voted No. 10 Mason as the team to finish the upcoming season on top and one has tabbed them second, helping the Patriots earn league-high 63 points in the poll.

The final first-place vote went to Penn State, whose 17-year EIVA domination Mason discontinued in April by claiming the conference championship with a victory over Saint Francis (Pa.). The No. 13 Nittany Lions followed Mason in the poll with 54 total points. The Red Flash, the other Pennsylvania-based EIVA member, rounded off the top three with 49 points.

It was the narrowest of margin between in-state rivals Princeton and NJIT for the fourth spot in the poll, but according to the league's coaches the Tigers (33) will fight their way to a postseason appearance after interrupting that long-time tradition last season. The Highlanders were left in fifth spot with 32 points.

Harvard, which was the only team to which Mason fell twice in regular season but then swept in the EIVA Championship semifinal, was the only 2016 postseason  team which did not find a top-four spot in the poll and collected 29 points for the sixth spot. The poll was completed by Sacred Heart with 19 points and Charleston (W.Va.) with nine points.

The 2017 EIVA Championship Tournament will begin with semifinal action on Thursday, April 20 and the championship match will be on Saturday, April 22. The location of the entire tournament will be the home facility of the regular season champion.