WALTHAM, Mass. – After finishing in a three-way logjam at the top of the Northeast-10 Conference standings and reaching the semifinals of the NCAA Division II East Regional a year ago, the Bentley University women's volleyball team took third in the preseason Northeast-10 Conference coaches' poll that was announced Thursday.

The Falcons, with three first-place votes and a total of 171 points, trailed the University of New Haven and Adelphi University in the polling. New Haven, the defending NCAA Division II East Region champion, garnered nine firsts and 188 points and Adelphi, which captured the 2014 NE-10 championship tournament crown, matched Bentley's three firsts and had one more overall point.

Rounding out the top five of the 15-team conference were Stonehill College (148) and The College of Saint Rose (147).

Bentley was hit hard by graduation with the losses including second-team All-NE-10 setter Alex Tator, four-year libero Lauren Colasanti and four of the team's top five hitters, including third-team All-Conference middle blocker Savannah Dominguez.

Second-year head coach Joey Pacis returns a number of players who were part of his regular rotation last year, a group headed by senior Jaci Buscher (Lakewood, Colo./Green Mountain HS). The outside hitter earned second team All-NE-10 honors last year after leading the Falcons in kills (2.58) and ranking second in digs (2.85).

Bentley opens the season next week by hosting Florida Southern, New Haven, LIU Post, Minnesota Crookston and Chestnut Hill in a six-team tournament Friday and Saturday (Sept. 4-5).

1. New Haven - 188 (9)
2. Adelphi - 172 (3)
3. Bentley - 171 (3)
4. Stonehill - 148
5. Saint Rose - 147
6. So. New Hampshire - 128
7. Franklin Pierce - 120
8. Merrimack - 106
9. Le Moyne - 88
10. Saint Anselm - 75
11. Assumption - 61
12. So. Connecticut - 57
13. American Int'l - 54
14. Pace - 34
15. Saint Michael's - 26
(#) - indicates first-place votes