NO. ATTLEBORO, Mass. – The Southern New Hampshire University women's volleyball team was voted seventh in the NE10 Preseason Coaches' Poll that was released Friday.

Bentley University, an NCAA national semifinalist a year ago, was unanimously chosen to win the league, as it collected all nine possible first-place votes and 81 points to finish ahead 

Adelphi University (one first-place vote) and defending NE10 Champion American International College, which both totaled 69 points. Saint Michael's College (43) was fourth, while Pace University (38) and Saint Anselm College (38) tied for fifth, just ahead of the Penmen (34). Assumption University (33) and Southern Connecticut State University (33) tied for eighth, while Franklin Pierce University (12) rounded out the poll.

Head coach Braden Zamore begins his third season at the helm for the Penmen, who are coming off a 9-17 campaign that saw them go 4-6 in league play to claim the No. 6 seed for the NE10 Championship. SNHU dropped a four-set affair in the quarterfinals to the University of New Haven, which departed for Division I over the summer.

Southern New Hampshire will look to integrate nine newcomers into the program, but will be able to rely on a couple of experienced returners in the middle. Senior Alexandra Friebolin (Plant City, Fla.) is back after missing all of last season with an injury. In 16 matches in 2023, Friebolin posted 51 kills (1.02 k/s) and 48 blocks (0.96 b/s). Junior Daya Jean-Baptiste (Miami, Fla.) started 16 of the 20 matches she played in last season, totaling 85 kills (1.37 k/s), 10 aces (0.16 sa/s) and 30 blocks (0.48 b/s) and returns along with sophomore Lailah Johnson (Senoia, Ga.), who started 10 of 20 matches as a defensive specialist a year ago, tallying 81 digs (1.35 d/s) and 16 aces (0.27 sa/s).

SNHU will open the season by playing host to a shared tournament with Saint Anselm College, entertaining one match at the Stan Spirou Field House on Friday, Sept. 5 and two on Saturday, Sept. 6. The Penmen will take on Felician University (6 p.m.) on the first day, followed by the University of Minnesota Crookston (3 p.m.) on day two.