HOBOKEN, N.J. (August 27, 2013) – The Stevens Institute of Technology women's volleyball team was picked by the coaches of the Empire 8 Conference to finish the 2013 season tied for second in the eight team league. Preseason rankings were released earlier today.

Last season's Empire 8 champions, Nazareth College, was chosen to claim the conference crown again this year with five first place votes and 44 overall points. Nazareth earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Volleyball Championship with a 3-2 victory over Stevens last November in the Empire 8 final.

The Ducks received one first place vote and 38 points, as did Ithaca College, for the number two spot in the poll. Elmira College was fourth with 35 points, Hartwick College was chosen to finish fifth with 26 points and St. John Fisher College fell into the sixth slot with 23 points. Alfred University and Utica College rounded out the preseason poll with 10 points each.

Stevens finished the 2012 campaign with a 17-18 overall mark after a 0-9 start to the year. The Ducks played in 10 five-set matches last season and came away with four victories in those affairs.

The Ducks return three all-conference members from last season in seniors Samantha Gates (Wilmington, N.C.) and Mary Caulson (West Islip, N.Y.) and junior Katie Hall (Midlothian, Va.). Gates was a second-team performer, while Caulson and Hall landed on the honorable mention squad.

Gates handed out the third-most assists in a single-season at Stevens with 1,173 to become just the fourth player ever to reach that mark in 2012. She also moved up to No. 3 on the career list with 2,366 and will enter her senior campaign 832 assists away from the career record. The setter also tallied a team-best 79 aces to go along with 260 digs, 55 kills and 49 blocks. Caulson played in 119 sets for the Ducks and recorded 311 points, 259 digs, 248 kills, 49 aces and 25 total blocks. Hall hit at a team-best .263 clip and was second on the squad with 339 points and 276 kills.

Dates to remember

The Ducks open up the season at the United States Coast Guard Academy tournament this upcoming weekend on August 30 and 31 for three matches. Stevens will then play in a tri-match at Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham on September 4 and play in another tournament at Vassar College on the 6th and 7th.

The home opener is slated for September 13 against SUNY Geneseo at 8 p.m. as part of the Ducks Classic that weekend. Conference action begins at Hartwick on the 20th and 21st as part of the first crossover of the season.

Follow Online

If you can't make it out to the game be sure to check if Live Stats are available. You can also watch every Stevens home game (and most conference road games) live at www.Empire8.TV. The Empire 8 scoreboard will have the latest schedule and results as well as media coverage links.

2013 Empire 8 Women's Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll