COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.—After a successful 2021 campaign, the San José State volleyball team was picked third in the 2022 Mountain West Preseason Coaches' Poll, and Spartan fifth-year seniors Haylee Nelson and Sarah Smevog are two of the eight players named to the 2022 Preseason All-Mountain West team.
The Spartans are tied with Boise State for third-place, each receiving 75 points and one first-place vote. San José State finished the 2021 season with a 19-10 overall record and 13-5 MW mark, good for third-place in the final conference standings. The Spartans return four starters plus the libero and 11 letterwinners from that team.
Nelson and Smevog return for their fifth season at San José State after being honored as 2021 All-MW selections. During conference play, Nelson was fifth in kills with 241, 3.49 per set, and recorded double-digit kills in 13 matches. She recorded her 1,000th career kill in a five-set win at Nevada in late October and begins the year with 1,113 career kills.
Smevog led the MW during conference play in digs with 202, 4.39 ps, and recorded double-digit digs in every conference match. She recorded her 1,000th career dig in a match at Utah State in early October and begins the 2022 year with 1,247 career digs.
San José State begins the 2022 season next weekend at the Weber State Tournament in Ogden, Utah. The Spartans will face Southern Utah and UC Riverside on Friday the 26th, followed by host Weber State Saturday afternoon.
The Spartans open the home portion of the schedule with a match against Saint Mary's on Friday, September 2, at 5 p.m. The next weekend, the team faces LMU on the 8th and preseason #12 UCLA on Saturday the 10th at 5 p.m.
All home matches take place at Spartan Gym, inside Yosh Uchida Hall, located on the corner of Fourth and San Carlos Streets.
2022 MOUNTAIN WEST PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH
Rank Team (First-Place Votes) Points
1. Colorado State (6) 93
2. Utah State (3) 91
3. Boise State (1) 75
San José State (1) 75
5. New Mexico 68
6. UNLV 57
7. Wyoming 47
8. San Diego State 33
9. Fresno State 29
10. Air Force 27
11. Nevada 10
2022 PRESEASON ALL-MOUNTAIN WEST TEAM
Lauren Ohlinger, Sr., OH, Boise State
Paige Bartsch, So., OPP, Boise State
Kennedy Stanford, Jr., OH, Colorado State
Ciera Pritchard, Sr., S, Colorado State
Kaitlynn Biassou, Sr., OH, New Mexico
Haylee Nelson, Sr., OH/OPP, San José State
Sarah Smevog, Sr., L, San José State
Tatum Stall, Jr., OH, Utah State
PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Paige Bartsch, So., OPP, Boise State
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