The AVCA preseason top 25 coaches poll came out Tuesday. The first ranking of the leading NCAA women’s volleyball programs is hardly the be-all end-all, but it’s a good place to start for the purpose of looking at the start of the season.
And that happens a week from Friday with some pretty enticing matches. So, in order, a little of this and that:
No. 1 Texas (28-1, 15-1 Big 12) — The defending national champions are still the team to beat in the new-and-improved Big 12, but No. 1? Gone are VolleyballMag.com national player of the year Logan Eggleston and one-year super libero Zoe Fleck, a VolleyballMag.com first-team All-American who made the difference as Texas won its first NCAA crown since 2012. But don’t cry for the Longhorns, a team anchored by senior middle Asjia O’Neal, who made a big splash for the USA this summer. She has a legit shot at making our Olympic team for Paris in 2024. This is a squad that also includes Madisen Skinner, Molly Phillips and Bella Bergmark and Minnesota transfer Jenna Wenaas. Firepower won’t be the question — it never is for Texas — but the quality of play that coach Jerritt Elliott gets at setter and libero is.
No. 2 Wisconsin (28-4, 19-1 Big Ten) — Wisconsin won it all in 2021 and last year lost…
