2021 AVCA preseason poll: 90 teams receive votes

The 2021 AVCA preseason poll was released Monday. A whopping 90 teams garnered at least one vote, befitting a season with uncertainty.

No. 1 Trinity (Texas) was one of six programs to receive a first place vote, claiming the top spot on 37 of 89 ballots. Following the Tigers are No. 2 Colorado College (16 first place votes), No. 3 Calvin (2), No. 4 Emory (10), No. 5 Carthage (1) and No. 6 Johns Hopkins (23). Round out the top 10 are No. 7 Hope, No. 8 Berry, No. 9 Chicago and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps.

Other Region VIII and IX teams in the preseason top 25: No. 17 Millikin; No. 18 Saint Benedict; No. 20 Northwestern; No. 25 Elmhurst.

Region VIII and IX receiving at least two votes in the preseason: Washington-St. Louis; Aurora; UW-Stevens Point; UW-Eau Claire; Coe; St. Olaf; Augsburg; UW-Whitewater; Cornell; Gustavus Adolphus; Bethel; Wartburg; Greenville; Illinois Wesleyan; UW-Oshkosh; Westminster (Mo.).

I will not be doing a preseason top 25 or conference predictions this season because at this point I don’t even know the team or conference I’m paid to know. The AVCA poll is probably what it should be — a whole lot of question marks and possibilities. Had I done a preseason top 25, Johns Hopkins would have been atop my list. I’m surprised that sentiment didn’t prevail after scanning online rosters.

-Ricky Nelson