MIAMI, Fla. (August 5, 2021) – The reigning Sun Conference Regular Season and Tournament Champion Keiser Seahawks have been selected as the favorite to claim the 2021 volleyball title, as voted on by the league’s eight coaches.
Keiser received 49 total points and seven first-place votes. The Seahawks were followed by Ave Maria with 39 points (one first-place vote), Coastal Georgia with 36 points, and St. Thomas with 30 votes.
Florida Memorial was picked fifth with 27 points while Warner was selected sixth with 17 points. Southeastern (16 points), and Webber International (10 points) round out the poll.
Keiser (36-2, 13-0 SUN) finished the last year ranked No. 11 in the nation, advancing to Sioux City, Iowa, as the Seahawks made its first appearance in the NAIA National Tournament. The Seahawks were led by three-time Sun Conference Player of the Year
Abbie Seward and two-time SUN Coach of the Year
James Rogers (co-Coach of the Year in 2020). KU was a perfect 13-0 in league play for the team’s second-straight, regular-season title and the team’s first conference tournament title in 2020.
Ave Maria (15-4, 10-3 SUN), picked second in this year’s poll, advanced to the Sun Conference Championship game last season for the first time in team history. Led by Sun Conference Co-Coach of the Year
Sonya Leszczynski, the Gyrenes garnered four of the league’s six specialty awards (including Coach of the Year), winning Setter of the Year (
Lily Witkoski), Libero of the Year (
Victoria Schein), and Freshman of the Year (
Zelie Kessler).
Coastal Georgia (selected third) finished last season with a 12-6 record (8-5 SUN) earning the No. 3 seed in last year’s tourney while St. Thomas (fourth in this year’s poll) compiled a 10-7 mark (7-6 SUN) in 2019, earning the No. 4 overall seed.
The 2021 season is set to start on Thursday, August 12, with Keiser hosting the Palm Beach County Sports Commission Volleyball Classic. Taking part in the classing along with KU will be Florida Memorial, Ave Maria, and St. Thomas.
The 2021 Sun Conference Volleyball Championship will begin with quarterfinal action on November 9 at campus sites (higher seed hosting). The semifinals (November 12) and finals (November 13) will be hosted by the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament.
2021 Sun Conference Volleyball Preseason Coaches’ Poll
| Rank |
School (First Place Votes) |
Votes |
| 1 |
Keiser (7) |
49 |
| 2 |
Ave Maria (1) |
39 |
| 3 |
Coastal Georgia |
36 |
| 4 |
St. Thomas |
30 |
| 5 |
Florida Memorial |
27 |
| 6 |
Warner |
17 |
| 7 |
Southeastern |
16 |
| 8 |
Webber International |
10 |
ABOUT THE SUN CONFERENCE
Now entering its 32nd year, The Sun Conference, a 501c3 organization, continues to be one of the most successful intercollegiate athletic conferences in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Under the guidance of Commissioner Dustin Wilke, the league sponsors championships in 19 NAIA sports: Baseball, Men’s and Women’s Basketball, Beach Volleyball, Men’s and Women’s Cross Country, Flag Football, Men’s and Women’s Golf, Men’s and Women’s Indoor Track and Field, Men’s and Women’s Soccer, Softball, Men’s and Women’s Tennis, Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track and Field and Women’s Volleyball. Learn more @ thesunconference.com
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