ARLINGTON, Texas – 2022 conference tournament champion Stephen F. Austin was selected as the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) top team in the 2023 WAC Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll that was released on Thursday.

Stephen F. Austin received nine first-place votes and 99 points to rank as the preseason favorite based on polling of the league’s 11 head coaches. Grand Canyon received one first-place vote and placed second in the predicted order of finish with 87 points. UTRGV received the last remaining first-place vote in the poll, finishing third with 80 points.
 
Stephen F. Austin senior right-side hitter Ielan Bradley was selected as the 2023 WAC Preseason Player of the Year. Bradley tallied a team-high 368 kills, hitting .335, while adding 79 total blocks and 54 digs. Bradley was named the 2022 WAC tournament MVP and earned First Team All-WAC last season.
  
UTRGV junior setter Luanna Emiliano was voted as the 2023 WAC Preseason Setter of the Year. Emiliano earned the 2022 WAC Setter of the Year, after leading the league with 1160 total assists and 10.74 assists per set across 28 matches. She had a career-high 72 assists against Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi, which was the fourth-highest single-match total in program history.
 
Stephen F. Austin senior Haley Hoang was chosen as the 2023 Preseason Libero of the Year. Hoang led the WAC in total digs with 500 and 5.26 digs per set. Hoang was named the 2022 WAC Libero of the Year, earned First Team All-WAC honors and held a spot on the WAC All-Tournament team.
 
Stephen F. Austin led the way with three selections on the 2023 Preseason All-Conference Team. Grand Canyon and UTRGV each had two selections, while UT Arlington and Utah Valley were also represented.
 
2023 WAC Volleyball Preseason Coaches’ Poll
 

Rank	Team (1st-Place Votes)	Points
1.	Stephen F. Austin (9)	99
2.	Grand Canyon (1)	87
3.	UTRGV (1)	80
4.	Utah Valley	74
5.	UT Arlington	69
6.	California Baptist	56
7.	Utah Tech	45
8.	Southern Utah	34
9.	Tarleton State	28
10.	Abilene Christian	22
11.	Seattle U	11

 
2023 WAC Preseason Player of the Year: Ielan Bradley, Stephen F. Austin, Sr. 
2023 WAC Preseason Setter of the Year: Luanna Emiliano, UTRGV, Jr. 
2023 WAC Preseason Libero of the Year: Haley Hoang, Stephen F. Austin, Sr. 
 
2023 Preseason All-WAC Team 
Klaire Mitchell, Grand Canyon, Gr., S
Tatum Parrott, Grand Canyon, So., OH 
Ielan Bradley, Stephen F. Austin, Sr., RS
Haley Hoang, Stephen F. Austin, Sr., L
Ariana Pagan, Stephen F. Austin, Gr., OH 
Brianna Ford, UT Arlington, Sr., OH   
Luanna Emiliano, UTRGV, Jr., S
Luisa Silva Dos Santos, UTRGV, Sr., MB  
Tori Ellis, Utah Valley, Sr., OH