ERIE, Pa. – The Penn State Behrend men's volleyball team and reigning Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) Champions were picked to finish second in the first-ever Preseason Coaches Poll. Junior outside hitter Dillon Hildebrand (Red Lion, PA/Red Lion) was selected Co-Preseason Player of the Year.
The 2019 season marks the first conference postseason tournament with the new affiliate members. Wittenberg, one of the new affiliate members, grabbed the top spot in the poll. Joining Wittenberg to make an eight-team conference is Thiel and Geneva. The AMCC Championships will be held April 13-14 at the site of the No. 1 seed.
The Lions won their first-ever AMCC Championship with a 3-1 conference record during the regular season last year. Behrend finished with a 14-11 overall record. Hildebrand was named the 2018 Player of the Year and was a first-team All-AMCC choice. The outside hitter led the AMCC in kills and was second in kills per set.
Tyler Herrmann (Cranberry Township, PA/Seneca Valley), Anthony Sprentz (Cranberry Township, PA/Seneca Valley) and Robert McMaster (North Huntingdon, PA/Norwin) all return this season after being named to the All-AMCC second team.
Pre-Season Ranking
1. Wittenberg
2. Penn State Behrend
3. Penn State Altoona
4. Thiel
5. Hiram
6. Medaille
T7. D'Youville
T7. Geneva