Fairfield has been selected as the preseason choice to win the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC). If it comes to fruition, the Stags will have won their fourth consecutive MAAC Championship.
It’s not much of a surprise after Fairfield has gone a combined 36-0 over the last two seasons in conference action. They also have the MAAC Preseason Co-Player of the Year in Manuela Nicolini to go with Luci Albertson and Taylor Rudeen on the Preseason All-MAAC Team. No other team got more than one selection on the list.
The only other first-place vote – since coaches cannot vote for their own team – went to Iona. They were the team that lost in the MAAC Championship match last season and now return the other MAAC Preseason Co-Player of the Year in Claire Archibald who will try to get them over that hump.
Rounding out the top three was Marist, another team eliminated by the Stags in the MAAC Tournament last season. Nikki DeSerpa also landed on the preseason all-conference list for the Red Foxes.
In the middle of the predictions are Quinnipiac, Niagara – who finished second in the 2017 regular season – and Rider.
The full list of team predictions and individual accolades can be seen below via the MAAC:
| Coaches’ Poll (first-place votes) | |
| Fairfield (9) | 97 |
| Iona (1) | 84 |
| Marist | 77 |
| Quinnipiac | 65 |
| Niagara | 56 |
| Rider | 51 |
| Siena | 43 |
| Canisius | 39 |
| Manhattan | 24 |
| Saint Peter’s | 14 |
| 2018 Preseason All-MAAC Team | ||
| Player | Position | Institution |
| Claire Archibald | Outside Hitter | Iona |
| Nikki DeSerpa | Outside Hitter | Marist |
| Hailey Riede | Outside Hitter | Rider |
| Sara Wesley | Middle Hitter | Canisius |
| Luci Albertson | Middle Hitter | Fairfield |
| Grace Hetterscheidt | Middle Hitter | Niagara |
| Manuela Nicolini | Setter | Fairfield |
| Taylor Rudeen | Libero | Fairfield |
| 2018 Preseason Co-Player of the Year | ||
| Manuela Nicolini | Setter | Fairfield |
| Claire Archibald | Outside Hitter | Iona |
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