COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- League coaches have picked the MSU Denver volleyball team to repeat as Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference regular-season champions.
 
The RMAC's annual preseason poll was announced Tuesday, and the Roadrunners – undefeated in regular-season league play last year at 18-0 – received 10 of the 15 first-place votes. Coaches aren't allowed to vote for their own team.
 
MSU Denver, which finished 28-4 overall and was No. 3 in the final NCAA Division II poll after reaching the South Central Regional final, outdistanced Colorado Mesa and Colorado School of Mines in the RMAC's preseason poll – both of those schools garnered 172 poll points, 20 behind MSU Denver's 192.
 
Regis received one first-place vote and was picked fourth with 162 points, while fifth-place choice CSU-Pueblo (150 points) received the other first-place vote.
 
MSU Denver returns much of its key personnel from last season, headlined by All-America first team outside hitter Rylee Hladky, who was the regional player of the year and RMAC Player of the Year last season while leading the league in points (513), points per set (4.3), kills (428), kills per set (3.6) and service aces (53) and ranking second in aces per set (0.44).
 
Also returning is All-RMAC first team middle blocker Ember Canty and All-RMAC second team libero Ashlyn Cianciulli, while middle blocker Mikayla McClinton and setter Amela Qershia have also received All-RMAC recognition.
 
Key losses include all-region outside hitter Avaline Lai and All-RMAC outside hitter Alexis Benda, but the Roadrunners have added all-region outside hitter Kelsey Gordon from Division II national runner-up Washburn (Kan.) and Division I transfer Maddy Lindsay, a former America East Conference freshman of the year. And continuing to develop are outside hitters Riley Anderson and Kaylee Corsentino, both key contributors last year.
 
MSU Denver opens the season Aug. 25 at the Cougar Classic, playing four matches in two days at the event hosted by Cal State San Marcos.
 
The Roadrunners' home opener comes during the power-packed Sept. 2 and 3 Colorado Premier Challenge, and matches Sept. 2 against Northwest Missouri State and Angelo State (Texas) figure to be against nationally-ranked opponents.
 
The American Volleyball Coaches' Association national preseason poll will be released Wednesday.
 
2022 RMAC Volleyball Preseason Poll

School (First-place votes)	Points
1. MSU Denver (10)	192
T2. Colorado Mesa (2)	172
T2. Colorado School of Mines (1)	172
4. Regis (1)	162
5. CSU Pueblo (1)	150
6. Colorado Christian	121
7. Adams State	97
8. UCCS	89
T9. South Dakota Mines	81
T9. Western Colorado	81
T11. Fort Lewis	72
T11. New Mexico Highlands	72
13. Black Hills State	49
14. Chadron State	37
15. Westminster	28