Posted: Aug 23, 2022

Bethany favored in PAC women's volleyball preseason coaches' poll

Erikka Sansom, Director of Athletic Communications

GREENVILLE, Pa. – The Bethany College women's volleyball team is selected to finish first in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) preseason poll.

The Bison are led by 16th-year head coach and three-time PAC Coach of the Year Courtney Hilyer. The Green and White boasts six first-place votes and 102 points in this year's preseason coaches' poll, which is voted on by the conference's 11 coaches.

"It is an honor to be selected first in the preseason poll," says Hilyer. "It makes us proud of the Bison volleyball program and the tradition our players have built over the years."

Bethany welcomes back a core group of returners who led the Bison to a 17-11 (13-5) record last season and a trip to the PAC Championship match. Among the PAC players to watch are seniors Riley Felton (Salineville, Ohio/Southern Local) and Alaina Torres (Lanexa, Va./New Kent), along with juniors Emma Marthins (Elkridge, Md./Howard) and Olivia Koehler (Pickerington, Ohio/Fairfield Christian), and sophomore Asia Crim (Shoals, Ind./Loogootee).

"To make it back to the PAC championship, we will need to progress steadily throughout the season," adds Hilyer. "This is without a doubt the strongest the PAC has been in my time at Bethany, and every match will be a battle. Mental toughness at practice will be the key to the group being successful this season."

Defensively, the Bison return two of the top blockers in the PAC with Felton and Marthins, both receiving All-PAC honors. Last season, Marthins led the PAC in blocks (87.0) and hitting percentage (.309), and Felton finished sixth in the PAC in blocks (72.0) and eighth in hitting percentage (.225).

On the offensive side, Crim was second in the PAC in service aces (52) while All-PAC second team honoree Torres was second in the assists category with 9.31 assists per set. Koehler returns as one of the Bison's top outside hitters, who was fourth on the team with 139 kills last season, behind Marthins and Felton.

"We return a great deal of experience, especially at the middle position," adds Hilyer. "I look for Emma and Riley to have a strong season for us and be leaders offensively as well as on the defensive side (blocking). There will definitely be a great deal of competition for every position on the court."

The Bison will begin the 2022 season on the road at the Cedar Point Tournament on Sept. 3 against Hanover at 2 p.m. The Green and White will face Western Connecticut State, Smith, and Hope during the course of the tournament.

September will include two more tournament trips, with the Bison heading to Bluffton, Ohio (Sept. 10-11), to play Baldwin Wallace, Pitt-Bradford, and John Carroll. Following that trip, the Bison will travel to Delaware, Ohio, for the Bishop Invitational (Sept. 16-17), to play Trine, Anderson (Ind.), and host Ohio Wesleyan. Bethany will host its home opener against Franciscan University on Sept. 22 at 7 p.m. and open PAC play on Oct. 5 in Steubenville, Ohio, against Franciscan with a 7 p.m. start time.

2022 PAC Volleyball Predicted Order of Finish: