SAN MATEO, Calif--- The West Coast Conference released their 2021 Beach Volleyball Preseason Poll on Wednesday afternoon, and Loyola Marymount received the maximum number of possible first-place votes to claim the top spot for the second year in a row. Portland was selected to finish seventh.
 
Having won the most recent WCC Championship title in 2019, LMU collected 36 points and six first-place votes, while Pepperdine was second with one first-place vote and 31 points. Saint Mary's was third with 25 points and was followed by Santa Clara (21 points), San Francisco (13), Pacific (12) and Portland (9).
 
With the majority of the 2020 season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Pilots are coming off a 2019 season that featured new heights for the program, including recording their first season with multiple WCC wins as a program, defeating the Pacific Tigers twice at the Santa Cruz WCC Mid-Season Invitational.
 
This season the Pilots return Shayla Hoeft for her final beach season, as well as juniors Carey Williams and Liz Reich. Williams led the Pilots in dual victories with five in 2019, and Reich landed on the 2020 WCC Beach Volleyball All-Academic First Team following last year's shortened season.
 
Portland also welcomes three newcomers to the program this year in Maluhia Hirahara, Sophie Lee, and Kendall Nolan.
 
The beach volleyball team will open the 2021 season against Corban on March 6^th, and the WCC Championships are currently set for late April in Santa Monica.
 

2021 WCC Beach Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll
Team (First Place Votes)	Score
Loyola Marymount (6)	36
Pepperdine (1)	31
Saint Mary's	25
Santa Clara	21
San Francisco	13
Pacific	12
Portland	9

 

2021 All-WCC Preseason Beach Volleyball Team
Name	Institution	Yr.
Brook Bauer	Pepperdine	Sr.
Chandler Cowell	Saint Mary's	Jr.
Emma Doud	Loyola Marymount	Gr.
Alexis Fillipone	Pepperdine	Sr.
Selina Marolf	Loyola Marymount	Jr.
Reka Orsi Toth	Loyola Marymount	Jr.
Melanie Paul	Pepperdine	Jr.
Jessie Prichard	Loyola Marymount	Gr.
Simone Priebe	Pepperdine	Jr.
Megan Rice	Loyola Marymount	Jr.
Carly Skjodt	Pepperdine	Gr.

 
*Due to a tie for the final spot on the preseason team, there are 11 preseason honorees instead of the normal 10.