NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – On Thursday afternoon, the Atlantic 10 revealed its annual volleyball preseason coaches' poll. Duquesne was selected to finish fifth.

Dayton, the defending A-10 Champions, was selected to win the conference, earning eight of 10 first-place votes. VCU earned the remaining two-first place votes, collecting 87 total points for second-place.

Saint Louis (84 points) and George Washington (65 points) were picked third and fourth, respectively. Duquesne earned 45 points to round out the top-five teams.

The latter half of the poll includes Davidson (6^th, 45 points), Rhode Island (7^th, 37 points), La Salle (8^th, 36 points) Fordham (9^th, 33 points) and George Mason (10^th, 19 points).

The Dukes, who are grouped in a geographical pod with Dayton, VCU, Saint Louis and Davidson for 2021 spring slate will begin its season on the road on Feb. 5 against Davidson.  

Duquesne posted a 10-17 record in 2019 and did not play a single game on campus due to the renovations of the A.J. Palumbo Center to the UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse. The Dukes return over 75 percent of its kills, 57 percent of its assists and 94 percent of its digs. The Dukes return four of its top five leaders in kills, its leader in total assists, and its top-five players in digs.

Morgan Kelly, who earned Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team in 2019 returns for her sophomore campaign. Kelly led the Dukes and ranked eighth in the A-10 with 3.00 kills per set during conference play. Other major contributors returning include: Summer Slade (2.64 kills/set, 3.0 digs per set), Maria Mosbacher (2.55 kills/set), Hailey Poling (5.26 assists/set, 2.43 digs/set), Ashley Larson (3.38 digs/set), Claire Boe (3.21 digs/set).

Olivia Alessi, Camille Spencer and Riley Speelman join the Dukes as freshman this season.