CORVALLIS, Ore. – Just four months after securing its sixth regular-season Cascade Collegiate Conference title with a perfect 14-0 conference record, Eastern Oregon University was picked to repeat the feat for the fourth year in a row.
The Mountaineers picked up eight of 12 possible first-place votes from the conference’s volleyball head coaches to top the preseason poll, released by the CCC office Thursday, which sees four teams who opted out of the 2020 season returning to the court.
EOU grabbed 140 points after finishing the unusual 2020 season in April with a trip to the NAIA Volleyball Championship quarterfinals, a No. 7 postseason ranking, and a 19-2 overall mark.
Corban University grabbed two first-place votes after winning the CCC Conference Tournament Championship, presented by U.S. Bank. The Warriors sit in the No. 2 spot on the poll with 130 points, coming off a trip to the NAIA Championship Tournament and a 14-5 overall record, finishing the year ranked No. 14 in the NAIA.
Southern Oregon University – which opted out of the 2020 CCC season due to coronavirus concerns – re-enters the competition and looks to pick up where it left off in 2019. The Raiders earned two first-place votes and 105 total points to sit third on the poll after finishing 2019 ranked No. 9 in the NAIA with a 31-5 overall record and securing the 2019 CCC tournament championship.
Bushnell University – which made its first trip to the NAIA Championship Tournament – sits just two points behind SOU with 103 points. The Beacons finished the year receiving votes in the NAIA Coaches’ Poll with a 13-7 overall mark.
College of Idaho (5-11) rounds out the top-five with 95 points, followed by Oregon Tech (12-6) in sixth with 88 points. Lewis-Clark State College looks to build on its first season as a full member of the CCC where it finished 7-7 on the year. The Warriors picked up 76 points to sit in the No. 7 spot.
Two teams that opted out of the 2020 CCC season return follow LC State as Northwest University sits in eighth with 68 points, while The Evergreen State College picked up the No. 9 spot with 47 points. Warner Pacific University (10
th, 36 points), Multnomah University (11
th, 30 points), and Walla Walla University (12
th, 14 points) – which also opted out of the 2020 season – close out the preseason poll.
The CCC conference season begins in just under a month on Sept. 3, with the conference tournament starting on Nov. 9 and hosted by the 2021 regular season champion.
2021 CCC Volleyball Preseason Poll
| Team (First-Place Votes) |
Points |
| 1. Eastern Oregon University (8) |
140 |
| 2. Corban University (2) |
130 |
| 3. Southern Oregon University (2) |
105 |
| 4. Bushnell University |
103 |
| 5. College of Idaho |
95 |
| 6. Oregon Tech |
88 |
| 7. Lewis-Clark State College |
76 |
| 8. Northwest University |
68 |
| 9. The Evergreen State College |
47 |
| 10. Warner Pacific University |
36 |
| 11. Multnomah University |
30 |
| 12. Walla Walla University |
14 |
