#HawaiiBVB

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The 2019 AVCA collegiate beach volleyball preseason poll was released Monday with the Rainbow Wahine coming in at No. 5. Defending NCAA champion UCLA is slotted as the preseason favorite.It's the fifth time in seven years that UH has been picked fifth in the preseason. UH was picked No. 5 the last two seasons, before finishing a program-best third in the final poll each time."It's always an honor to be recognized by your peers as one of the top five teams in the country," head coachsaid. "We're excited to start competition and see if we can move our way up. Ultimately what matters most is where you're ranked in May."UCLA, which out-lasted UH in last year's NCAA semifinals, received 27 of a possible 30 first-place votes. The Bruins are followed by No. 2 USC, No. 3 Florida State, and No. 4 Pepperdine. FSU (1) and Pepperdine (2) were the only other teams to receive first-place votes.Fellow Big West squads Cal Poly (6) and Long Beach State (8) are also ranked in the Top 10, while CSUN received votes. In all, 13 Top 20 teams are on UH's regular-season schedule, including No. 1 UCLA in the season-opening Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Beach Classic , Feb. 23-24, at Queen's Beach.UH returns five starters from last year's squad that won a school-record 37 matches and placed third at the NCAA Championship. Among the returnees are two-time AVCA All-Americanand 2017 All-American. UH also welcomes a recruiting class highlighted by high school All-Americanand North Carolina transfer