FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

All 14 first-place votes go to five-time
defending GNAC champion JWU Wildcats

WINTHROP, Mass. – Seeking its sixth consecutive league title this fall, Johnson & Wales University (RI) took home all 14 first-place votes as the unanimous frontrunner atop the 2021 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Women's Volleyball Preseason Poll, as voted upon by the league's head coaches. 

Under head coach Nancy Somera, who took over the helms of the program in 2014, JWU is 65-5 in GNAC play and went 7-3 in NCAA Tournament play from 2017-19, including an Elite Eight appearance in 2017. Winners of five straight GNAC Championships, the Wildcats will finally return to the court for the JWU Invitational on Friday, September 3 against Clark and Union, after a scrimmage at Division-II Bentley on Saturday, August 28. 

Longtime GNAC powerhouse Rivier University finished second in the poll with 177 points, followed by Simmons University with 166 points. Later this season, JWU will host Riv on Wednesday, October 20 and travel to Simmons on Saturday, Oct, 30.

Rivier has captured six GNAC titles in program history, most recently in 2014, while Simmons advanced to the GNAC title match against JWU in 2017 and made the conference semifinals in 2018.

Making up the rest of the top-10 in the poll were Norwich University (137 points), Lasell University (136), Colby-Sawyer College (113), Regis College (111), Saint Joseph's College of Maine (109), Emmanuel College (80), and newest full core member Elms College (76).

For the complete poll results, please see below. 

The 2021 GNAC Tournament will take place November 2, 4, and 6 (Tues-Thurs-Sat) with the league champion receiving an automatic qualifier to the NCAA Tournament. 

2021 GNAC Women's Volleyball Preseason Poll
1. Johnson & Wales (14) - 196
2. Rivier - 177
3. Simmons - 166
4. Norwich - 137
5. Lasell - 136
6. Colby-Sawyer - 113
7. Regis - 111
8. Saint Joseph's Maine - 109
9. Emmanuel - 80
10. Elms - 76
11. USJ - 66
12. Albertus Magnus - 48
13. Dean - 28
14. Anna Maria - 27 

The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 14 member institutions and over 3,500 student-athletes across the New England region. Founded in 1995, the GNAC annually sponsors and administers 22 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunity and community involvement in an effort to enhance the student-athlete experience. 

– #TheGNAC –