NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - The University of Dayton volleyball team has been chosen to repeat as the Atlantic 10 Conference champions in the league's annual preseason poll announced today ahead of the start of the 2015 season. The poll was conducted among the conference's 10 head volleyball coaches.

The Flyers, winners of the 2014 regular season and Atlantic 10 Championship, return last year's A-10 Player of the Year senior Alaina Turner, Setter of the Year sophomore Jane Emmenecker and Libero of the Year senior Janna Krafka. UD is also lead by 2014 A-10 Coach of the Year Tim Horsmon, who led the Flyers to a 13-1 record in conference play and a 30-6 mark overall. Dayton advanced to the second round of the NCAA Championship last year.

"We are excited about the upcoming season and we have a lot of great players in the program that understand what it takes to win championships," commented Horsmon after the announcement. "Our goal is to continue to improve and play the best volleyball that we can come tournament time. We have a lot of work to do from now until that point but we will work hard and smart this season."

UD received eight first-place votes and tallied 88 points in the poll, putting the Flyers just ahead of second-place George Washington. The Colonials registered two first place votes and 79 points in the poll.

The 2015 Atlantic 10 volleyball season gets underway Friday with 14 matches in season-opening tournaments. Dayton begins the 2015 season at Iowa State for the Cyclone Invitational this weekend, squaring off against North Dakota, Marquette and host ISU. Conference play begins on Friday, Sept. 25 and the 2015 Atlantic 10 Championship will be played at GW's Charles E. Smith Center Nov. 20-22. The semifinals and finals of the 2015 Championship will air on live television on American Sports Network (ASN).

2015 Atlantic 10 Conference Volleyball Preseason Poll
Number in parenthesis indicates first-place votes.

1. Dayton (8)                            88
2. George Washington (2)        79
3. Saint Louis                            74
4. Rhode Island                         58
5. VCU                                       57
6. Duquesne                              48
7. George Mason                       30
8. Davidson                                23
9. Fordham                                 21
10. La Salle                                  17

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About the Atlantic 10 Conference
The Atlantic 10 Conference was founded in 1975 and consists of 14 diverse members across eight states and Washington, D.C. The mission of the Atlantic 10 is to provide an enhanced student-athlete experience through 21 nationally competitive championship sports. The basketball-centric conference is committed to integrity, educational excellence and providing quality equitable championship experiences for its student-athletes, coaches, and support staff. The membership consists of Davidson College, the University of Dayton, Duquesne University, Fordham University, George Mason University, The George Washington University, La Salle University, the University of Massachusetts, the University of Rhode Island, University of Richmond, St. Bonaventure University, Saint Joseph's University, Saint Louis University and Virginia Commonwealth University.,For more information, visit www.atlantic10.com.
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