WESTON, Mass. – The Regis College women's volleyball team has been selected to finish fourth in the New England Collegiate Conference Women's Volleyball Coaches Poll, it was announced on Tuesday afternoon. Voting was conducted amongst the league's head coaches.

The Pride, who finished 9-19 overall and 4-4 in the NECC, look to return to the NECC postseason after a heart-breaking 3-2 setback to Bay Path College in the first round of last year's NECC playoffs.

Regis returns its kills leader from a year ago in Julie Endara (Boca Raton, Fla.) as the junior finished with a team-best 178 kills. Sara Gold (North Hollywood, Calif.) led both the Pride and the NECC in digs last year (406) and hopes to have a repeat performance in 2012. Also returning to bolster the Pride defense is Vanessa Noesi (Methuen, Mass.), who led the NECC with 103 total blocks, and accounted for 76% of the Pride's total blocks in 2011.

Reigning NECC Champion Southern Vermont College was selected as the league's preseason favorite, grabbing all nine of the first place votes. Daniel Webster and Newbury rounded out the top three, while Lesley and Bay Path finished tied for fifth in the poll. Elms was selected seventh with Mitchell and Becker picked eighth and ninth, respectively.

To view the entire NECC Coaches Poll release, please click here.

2012 NECC Women's Volleyball Coaches Poll
(First Place Votes in Parentheses)