Women's Volleyball: Bethany favored in PAC Preseason Poll

BETHANY, W.Va. – After earning their third Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) championship last season, the Bethany College women's volleyball team has been selected as the league favorite in the 2023 preseason coaches' poll announced Friday morning.

Bethany topped the coaches' poll, claiming 90 points and six first-place votes. Grove City College was second with 86 points while Allegheny College was third with 69 points. The Wolverines claimed four first-place votes while the Gators claimed one.

The Bison finished with a 17-13 overall record and went 7-4 against conference opponents in 2022.

Bethany returns a group of upperclassmen that led the Bison to their PAC title. Highlighting the Bison returners is reigning PAC Player of the Year Emma Marthins along with five All-PAC Honorees.

Marthins hit .290 last season with 282 kills (2.50/s) and 112 total blocks (0.99/s). Her 282 kills were sixth in the league while her 112 blocks, which ranked 16th most in NCAA Division III, were third. She totaled 366 points while averaging 3.24 per set last season. Against conference opponents, she hit .305 with 114 kills (2.78/s), 30 total blocks (0.73/s) and 140 points (3.41/s).

Joining Marthins is graduate student Riley Felton and junior Destiny Goodnight.

As an All-PAC Second Team honoree, Felton totaled 222 kills while hitting .259. She led the team in blocks with 115 (50 solo) while ranking 11th in the NCAA Division III for total blocks and 40th in blocks per set. Felton sits second all-time on Bethany's total blocks list with 247.

Goodnight had a stellar performance last season, earning All-PAC Second Team with 244 kills and 65 blocks (12 solo). She earned PAC All-Tournament honors after totaling 44 kills through three matches in the PAC Tournament. Goodnight hit 17 kills with a .342 hitting percentage against Allegheny and had 16 kills against Grove City to help put the Bison in the PAC Championship. Her final kill of the match against Thiel sealed the Bison's third PAC Championship.

Felton, Goodnight, and Marthins earned a spot on the PAC Players to Watch list.

Led by first-year head coach Jordan Barton, the Bison open up their 2023 campaign against Baldwin Wallace at the Greatlakes Crossover held at Cedar Point Sports Complex on Sept. 1 at 2 p.m.