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Drews Named Preseason All-Pac-12, Utes Picked To Finish Seventh In Conference
8/18/2021 11:00 AM | Volleyball
SAN FRANCISCO – Utah volleyball standout Dani Drews has been selected to the Pac-12 Preseason All-Conference Team as voted on by the league's coaches, the Pac-12 Conference announced Wednesday. Utah was also voted to finish seventh in Pac-12 play in this year's Preseason Coaches Poll.
Drews, who is a three-time All-Pac-12 honoree, is coming off a spring campaign that earned her the Pac-12 Player of the Year award. Her exceptional season led to an AVCA Pacific South Region Player of the Year honor for the second season in a row, as well her second-consecutive AVCA First Team All-American selection.
The Sandy, Utah native led the Utes in kills in every match last season and led the country in kills per set, averaging 5.21 k/s in the spring. She holds the single-season program record in kills (643, 2019) and the single-match record in kills in the rally-scoring era in three sets (22, 2018), four sets (30, 2x) and five sets (33, 2019). Drews is also No. 2 all-time in career kills with 1,687 kills heading into this season behind former teammate Adora Anae's program-record 1,920 kills.
Picked seventh in the preseason poll with 66 points, Utah finished the 2021 conference slate with a 13-4 record to finish in third place and returns five-of-seven starters this season. Along with the return of Drews, other notable returners include 2021 All-Pac-12 honorable mention honoree Madelyn Robinson, last year's starting libero Vanessa Ramirez, and 2019 All-Pac-12 freshman team selection Zoe Weatherington and starting middle blocker Phoebe Grace.
Looking to make an immediate impact will be newcomers Stef Jankiewicz, a two-time Missouri Valley Conference Setter of the Year; Kiley McMurtrey, a two-time Cascade Collegiate Conference Libero of the Year; Amelia Van Der Werff, a Conference USA All-Freshman Team selection; and Kamry Bailey, a back-to-back 3A State MVP and three-time state champion in high school.
No. 4 Washington was picked by the league's coaches to sit at the top of the conference this year, finishing with 11 first-place votes and 121 votes overall. No. 17 UCLA (101) finished in second and No. 14 Oregon (100) was just edged in third place. Rounding out the teams ahead of the Utes was No. 21 Stanford (95) in fourth place, No.18 Washington State (77) in fifth place and USC (74) in sixth place.
No. 19 Utah volleyball is set to host the annual Red & White match this Saturday, August 21 at 2 p.m. MT in the Jon M. Huntsman Center. The intrasquad is free to all fans. Then, Utah will open the 2021 season at Utah Valley next Friday, August 27 at 6 p.m. MT in Orem before returning the next day for the home opener against Utah Valley at 7 p.m. MT on Saturday, August 28.
Pac-12 Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Washington (11) - 121
2. UCLA - 101
3. Oregon - 100
4. Stanford (1) - 95
5. Washington State - 77
6. USC - 74
7. Utah - 66
8. Arizona - 44
9. Colorado - 39
10. California - 33
11. Arizona State - 30
12. Oregon State - 12
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Pac-12 Preseason All-Conference Team
Brooke Botkin, USCÂ
Samantha Drechsel, WashingtonÂ
Dani Drews, Utah
Zoe Fleck, UCLAÂ
Claire Hoffman, WashingtonÂ
Magda Jehlarova, Washington StateÂ
Kendall Kipp, StanfordÂ
Mac May, UCLA
élan McCall, UCLAÂ
Mima Mirkovic, California Â
Brooke Nuneviller, OregonÂ
Ella May Powell, WashingtonÂ
Hannah Pukis, Washington StateÂ
Pia Timmer, Washington State
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Drews, who is a three-time All-Pac-12 honoree, is coming off a spring campaign that earned her the Pac-12 Player of the Year award. Her exceptional season led to an AVCA Pacific South Region Player of the Year honor for the second season in a row, as well her second-consecutive AVCA First Team All-American selection.
The Sandy, Utah native led the Utes in kills in every match last season and led the country in kills per set, averaging 5.21 k/s in the spring. She holds the single-season program record in kills (643, 2019) and the single-match record in kills in the rally-scoring era in three sets (22, 2018), four sets (30, 2x) and five sets (33, 2019). Drews is also No. 2 all-time in career kills with 1,687 kills heading into this season behind former teammate Adora Anae's program-record 1,920 kills.
Picked seventh in the preseason poll with 66 points, Utah finished the 2021 conference slate with a 13-4 record to finish in third place and returns five-of-seven starters this season. Along with the return of Drews, other notable returners include 2021 All-Pac-12 honorable mention honoree Madelyn Robinson, last year's starting libero Vanessa Ramirez, and 2019 All-Pac-12 freshman team selection Zoe Weatherington and starting middle blocker Phoebe Grace.
Looking to make an immediate impact will be newcomers Stef Jankiewicz, a two-time Missouri Valley Conference Setter of the Year; Kiley McMurtrey, a two-time Cascade Collegiate Conference Libero of the Year; Amelia Van Der Werff, a Conference USA All-Freshman Team selection; and Kamry Bailey, a back-to-back 3A State MVP and three-time state champion in high school.
No. 4 Washington was picked by the league's coaches to sit at the top of the conference this year, finishing with 11 first-place votes and 121 votes overall. No. 17 UCLA (101) finished in second and No. 14 Oregon (100) was just edged in third place. Rounding out the teams ahead of the Utes was No. 21 Stanford (95) in fourth place, No.18 Washington State (77) in fifth place and USC (74) in sixth place.
No. 19 Utah volleyball is set to host the annual Red & White match this Saturday, August 21 at 2 p.m. MT in the Jon M. Huntsman Center. The intrasquad is free to all fans. Then, Utah will open the 2021 season at Utah Valley next Friday, August 27 at 6 p.m. MT in Orem before returning the next day for the home opener against Utah Valley at 7 p.m. MT on Saturday, August 28.
Pac-12 Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Washington (11) - 121
2. UCLA - 101
3. Oregon - 100
4. Stanford (1) - 95
5. Washington State - 77
6. USC - 74
7. Utah - 66
8. Arizona - 44
9. Colorado - 39
10. California - 33
11. Arizona State - 30
12. Oregon State - 12
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Pac-12 Preseason All-Conference Team
Brooke Botkin, USCÂ
Samantha Drechsel, WashingtonÂ
Dani Drews, Utah
Zoe Fleck, UCLAÂ
Claire Hoffman, WashingtonÂ
Magda Jehlarova, Washington StateÂ
Kendall Kipp, StanfordÂ
Mac May, UCLA
élan McCall, UCLAÂ
Mima Mirkovic, California Â
Brooke Nuneviller, OregonÂ
Ella May Powell, WashingtonÂ
Hannah Pukis, Washington StateÂ
Pia Timmer, Washington State
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