FREELAND, Mich. –- In a preseason poll of eight Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) head volleyball coaches, the Calvin Knights received all seven possible first-place votes and were voted to repeat as the MIAA champions in 2021.

Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own programs.  Saint Mary's has opted out of the 2020-21 season due to COVID-19 concerns.

Calvin tallied 49 points with their seven first-place votes to rank first, while second-place Hope recorded 43 points, including one first-place vote.  Trine ranked third with 35 points, followed by Albion in fourth with 30 points and Alma ranking fifth with 28 points.  Adrian garnered 17 points for sixth, while Olivet (12 points) and Kalamazoo (9 points) rounded out the poll.

Calvin (27-3, 8-0 in MIAA in 2019), tied-for-sixth in the AVCA coaches preseason poll, made its fourth-straight appearance in the DIII NCAA Tournament quarterfinals in the fall of 2019.  The Knights will feature 2019 MIAA Defensive Player of the Year Aubrey Wrubel.

Hope (24-8, 7-1 MIAA) was ranked No. 20 nationally in the AVCA preseason poll.  The Flying Dutch return 2019 First Team All-MIAA players Ana Grunewald and McKenna Otto, along with 2019 Second Team All-MIAA player Tracy Westra.

Trine (18-13, 5-3 MIAA) rounded out the top three.  The Thunder will look to senior Madison Munger, who was selected First Team All-MIAA in 2019.

MIAA competition is slated to begin on Friday, March 19th, with Calvin at Olivet, Alma at Hope, and Kalamazoo at Albion.