IRVING, Texas – UCF, the three-time defending conference champion, was named the unanimous favorite in the 2021 American Athletic Conference Volleyball Preseason Coaches’ Poll that was released on Wednesday. The preseason rankings were voted on by the conference’s 11 head coaches.
 
The Knights earned all 10 possible first-place votes as the favorite to win the 2021 American Volleyball Championship (determined by regular-season conference winning percentage) with the maximum 100 voting points. UCF senior outside hitter McKenna Melville, the 2020 American Player of the Year, was tabbed as the unanimous preseason conference player of the year for the second straight season.
 
Houston was the runner-up in the preseason predicted order of finish with one first-place vote and 80 voting points, followed by SMU in third place with 66 points. Tulane (64 points) and Cincinnati (61 points) rounded out the top five, with 2020 American tournament runner-up Temple slotted sixth (58 points). South Florida (34 points), Wichita State (33 points), Tulsa (24 points), East Carolina (18 points) and Memphis (18 points) rounded out the preseason predicted order of finish.
 
UCF won its fourth overall American volleyball title and was the repeat conference tournament champion during the 2020 season, stopping East Division No. 2 seed Temple in four sets after battling West Division No. 2 seed Tulane in a classic five-set encounter in the semifinal round. Melville was named Tournament Most Outstanding Player for the second straight year, with teammates and now redshirt seniors Anne-Marie Watson and Nerissa Moravec joining Melville on the 2020 tournament all-championship team.
 
All 12 players selected for the 2021 American Volleyball Preseason All-Conference Team comprised last season’s all-conference first-team. Houston paced all squads with three honorees, as sophomore setter Annie Cooke, senior outside hitter Kortlyn Henderson and junior outside hitter Abbie Jackson represented the Cougars. Melville and Watson were the pair of choices representing UCF, Temple added sophomore libero Falanika Danielson and senior outside hitter Gem Grimshaw, and Tulane’s senior middle hitter Kayla Dinkins and redshirt senior outside hitter Lexie Douglas rounded out teams with multiple preseason all-conference performers. East Carolina senior right side Bri Wood, South Florida freshman outside hitter Marta Cvitkovic and Wichita State sophomore right side Sophia Rohling also nabbed preseason all-conference spots. In total five players, UCF’s Melville and Watson, Houston’s Jackson, South Florida’s Cvitkovic and Tulane’s Douglas, were unanimous preseason choices.
 
2021 American Athletic Conference
Volleyball Preseason Coaches’ Poll
 
American Predicted Order of Finish
(Teams cannot vote for themselves)
 

Team (1st Place Votes)	Points
UCF (10)	100
Houston (1)	80
SMU	66
Tulane	64
Cincinnati	61
Temple	58
South Florida	34
Wichita State	33
Tulsa	24
East Carolina	18
Memphis	18

 
Preseason Player of the Year
McKenna Melville, Sr., OH, UCF*
 
Preseason All-Conference Team
McKenna Melville, Sr., OH, UCF*
Anne-Marie Watson, R-Sr., RS, UCF*
Bri Wood, Sr., RS, East Carolina
Annie Cooke, So., S, Houston
Kortlyn Henderson, Sr., OH, Houston
Abbie Jackson, Jr., OH, Houston*
Marta Cvitkovic, Fr., OH, South Florida*
Falanika Danielson, So., L, Temple
Gem Grimshaw, Sr., OH, Temple
Kayla Dinkins, Sr., MH, Tulane
Lexie Douglas, R-Sr., OH, Tulane*
Sophia Rohling, So., RS, Wichita State
 
*denotes unanimous selection