SAN RAMON, Calif. – For the second year in a row, the Sonoma State University women's volleyball team is predicted to finish first in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) North Division standings in 2018. According to a preseason poll of the league's coaches that was announced by the conference office Monday.
The Seawolves, led by 18th-year head coach
Bear Grassl, are coming off of a season in which they went 20-9, finishing first in the North Division standings with a 14-4 mark in conference play.
Sonoma State tallied 68 points and seven five-place votes in the preseason poll for the North Division, edging Cal State East Bay, which received 66 points and five first-place votes. Reigning CCAA champion Cal State San Bernardino was the unanimous favorite in the South Division with 67 points and 12 first-place votes. Featured at the No. 2 spot in that the South Division is Cal State LA, who tallied 47 points. With 10 votes, Cal State San Bernardino is expected to come out on top as the Conference champions come November.
Sonoma State will kick off the 2018 season on August 23rd when it hosts Pacific Union in The Wolves' Den at 4:30 pm.
The CCAA volleyball format continues to feature divisional play. The top four teams in each division will earn a bid into the CCAA Tournament, which will be held Nov. 8-10 on the campus of Stanislaus State. At the conclusion of the three-day, single-elimination event, the winner will be crowned the Conference champion and will receive an automatic berth to the 2018 NCAA Division II West Regional.
After two weekends of non-conference play, the CCAA schedule gets its start on Tuesday, September 4th, as Sonoma State travels to Humboldt State to open the conference slate.
Overall 2018 champion: Cal State San Bernardino (10 votes)
| NORTH |
| Rank |
Institution |
Points (Divisional champion votes) |
| 1. |
Sonoma State |
68 (5) |
| 2. |
Cal State East Bay |
66 (5) |
| 3. |
Chico State |
63 (3) |
| 4. |
Cal State Monterey Bay |
45 |
| 5. |
San Francisco State |
36 |
| 6. |
Stanislaus State |
21 |
| 7. |
Humboldt State |
16 |
| SOUTH |
| 1. |
Cal State San Bernardino |
67 (12) |
| 2. |
Cal State LA |
47 |
| 3. |
UC San Diego |
46 (1) |
| 4. |
Cal State San Marcos |
42 |
| 5. |
Cal Poly Pomona |
18 |
| 6. |
Cal State Dominguez Hills |
17 |
