As the Utah volleyball team embarks on the 2009 season, last year’s Sweet 16 run is fresh on the mind of national prognosticators.
Utah was ranked No. 19 nationally in a preseason poll from Volleyball Magazine. Head coach Beth Launiere was happy with the lofty ranking but wants to guard against becoming too caught up in preseason rankings.
“It is respect for what we’ve done in the past,” Launiere said. “We’re pleased with the respect, but we’ve got a lot of work to do this season.”
No other Mountain West Conference team garnered a ranking. However, top MWC competitor Colorado State was among the teams receiving votes.
Utah will square off against two teams who were also ranked in the top 20 this season. They will travel to No. 20 Santa Clara on Sept. 12 and will face No. 14 Oregon at home three days later.
In addition, the team will play Cal Poly and Long Beach State, which both received votes in the poll.
The Utes have also earned the respect of the MWC, as they were selected to repeat as conference champions in the 2009 Preseason Coaches Poll.
Launiere said she will be careful to ensure that neither preseason poll puts extra pressure on her squad.
“We’re not going to buy into that and let that happen,” she said. “We have the choice to not get caught up in that. With so many new players, we’ve still got a lot to prove.”
Colorado State finished second in the poll ahead of New Mexico, which narrowly edged out BYU. The Cougars were followed by TCU, UNLV, San Diego State, Wyoming and AirForce.
In the same poll, junior opposite hitter Karolina Bartkowiak was named to the preseason All-MWC Team.
“I think that’s very well-deserved,” Launiere said. “She was a key player last year and now she’s ready to take on the team leadership role.”
Bartkowiak earned All-MWC honors last season after finishing second in the conference in hitting percentage at .354.
Utah’s young team will be put to the test as it hosts Arizona State, Cincinnati and UC Riverside in the annual Utah Classic beginning Friday.