NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- The Duquesne University volleyball team was picked to finish in sixth place in the Atlantic 10 this season, as voted on by the league's coaches in the 2022 Atlantic 10 Preseason Poll.

Duquesne's 50 points slotted it just behind Davidson, who landed in fifth with 54. Dayton, the defending champions, were picked to finish first with 97 points and eight first-place votes. 

VCU tallied two first-place votes and are picked to finish second. Saint Louis came in at third with 81 points. 

Following the Dukes were Fordham (49 points) in seventh, Rhode Island (34) in eighth, George Washington (17) in ninth and George Mason (16) in last place. 

Duquesne is coming off a 13-16 season that ended in the semifinals of the A-10 tournament in a tight match against Dayton. Three of the Dukes' top four point-getters return for the 2022 season.

Sophomore Anna Shoemake was named to the A-10 All-Rookie Team last season after ranking fourth on the team with 254 points and third with 206 kills. Senior Morgan Kelly found her way onto the Atlantic 10 All-Conference Second Team in 2021 after putting up 3.48 kills per set which was the second-best in the conference. Her 400.5 points were the sixth-most in the A-10.

Also returning are seniors Hailey Poling and Anita Parrott. Poling led the conference with 1,114 assists and 9.86 assists per set last year while Parrott blocked the fifth-most shots in the conference in 2021 (108).

The Dukes' 2022 roster consists of one graduate student, four seniors, two juniors, three sophomores and six true freshman.  
 

Team	Points
Dayton (8)	97
VCU (2)	85
Loyola Chicago	81
Saint Louis	67
Davidson	54
Duquesne	50
Fordham	49
Rhode Island	34
George Washington	17
George Mason	16

(Parenthesis indicate first-place votes)

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