WALTHAM, Mass. – Despite graduating four key players from last year's 18-10 team, the Bentley University women's volleyball team is third in the preseason Northeast-10 Conference coaches' poll. That mirrors the team's finish a year ago.

Bentley totaled 161 points in the voting to finish behind Adelphi University, the defending regular season champion, and number two Franklin Pierce University. Adelphi, coming off a 27-5 season, received 13 first place notes and a total of 193 points while Franklin Pierce collected 169 points and one first.

Rounding out the top five were the University of New Haven and Le Moyne College, who were one and seven points behind Bentley, respectively. New Haven also received one first-place vote.

Bentley has a difficult schedule with ten of its 28 matches against programs that earned NCAA Division II tournament berths in 2015. Five of those will be played during three road tournaments that coach Joey Pacis' team faces to start the season, including Saint Leo in Nova Southeastern's Shark Invitational next Friday (Sept. 2) in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Two of the Falcons' 2016 opponents reached the Elite Eight a year ago (NYIT and Rockhurst), and both Rockhurst and Nebraska-Kearney are preseason top 25 teams.

Bentley's first 14 matches are away from home with the Dana Center set for September 27 against Merrimack College.

Pacis returns nine players and has bolstered the roster with a promising freshman class. Junior Shannon Kelly (Hyde Park, N.Y./Franklin D. Roosevelt HS) and seniors Ashley Latimer (Croton on Hudson, N.Y./Croton Hudson) and Lauren Van Buren (Massapequa Park, N.Y./Massapequa HS) were among the team leaders in kills, Kelly was third in digs, and senior Allie Rotkin (Cumming, Ga./Milton HS) and sophomore Krista Campbell (Newtown, Pa./Council Rock North HS) are back after sharing the setting duties in 2015.

2016 NE-10 Preseason Volleyball Coaches' Poll
1. Adelphi – 193 Pts. (13)
2. Franklin Pierce – 169 (1)
3. Bentley – 161
4. New Haven – 160 (1)
5. Le Moyne – 153
6. Saint Rose – 113
7. American Int'l – 111
8. So. New Hampshire – 102
9. Pace – 97
10. Stonehill – 84
11. Saint Anselm – 70
12. Merrimack – 57
13. Assumption – 36
14. So. Connecticut – 35
15. Saint Michael's – 34  

(#) – indicates first-place votes