Athenas ranked 8th in AVCA Division III Preseason Polls

CLAREMONT, Calif. – The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps women's volleyball team is ranked eighth in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Preseason Poll, following a 2014 season which they finished ninth in the rankings after a historic trip to the Elite 8 in the NCAA D-III Championships.

In 2014, the Athenas rode a 22-5 (13-2 SCIAC) regular season record into the SCIAC Postseason Tournament, where they defeated La Verne in the semifinals, but fell to Cal Lutheran in the finals. Their performance earned them a berth in the NCAA Championships and kicked off what would prove to be a remarkable run for the Athenas.

They opened the NCAA Championships in Thousand Oaks, Calif. with wins over Mary Hardin-Baylor, Colorado College and Trinity (Tex.) to advance to the NCAA Quarterfinals in Newport News, Va. Although CMS would eventually fall to Wisconsin-Stevens Point in a tightly-contested five-set match, the 2014 Athenas finished the year better than any other squad in program history with a record-setting 27 wins.

A few of this season's top returners include sophomore OPP Margaux Arntson (CMC) who finished second on the team in kills last year with 314 and sophomore MB Mariah Rigg (CMC), the Athenas leading blocker and anchor on the front line.

With a return trip to the NCAA Championships on their mind, the Athenas begin their 2015 season at home against New York University in the Pacific Coast Classic on Sept. 4 at the Linde Activities Center on the campus of Harvey Mudd College. CMS will play four games in two days in the Pacific Coast Classic.

By Tony Steege
Sports Information Assistant

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