UCSB’s men’s volleyball team has been ranked 14th in the CSTV/AVCA Preseason Coaches Poll. Mountain Pacific Sports Federation teams filled the top three spots, with BYU first, followed by Pepperdine and UCLA.

BYU earned the top ranking with 220 points and four first-place votes. Pepperdine garnered 215 points and a poll-high nine first-place votes, while UCLA was just behind with 214 points and a pair of first-place votes.

UC Irvine, the reigning national champion, was ranked fifth with 172 points. The Anteaters were the only other squad to receive a first-place vote.

UCSB totaled 34 points for its 14th-place ranking. The Gauchos finished the 2007 season with a 20-12 overall record and placed fourth in the MPSF with a 14-8 mark. They were ranked fifth in the final CSTV/AVCA poll.

UCSB opens its 2008 campaign with an exhibition match against Alberta on Jan. 2 before hosting the annual Elephant Bar Restaurant Collegiate Invitational on Jan. 4-5.

The first regular season CSTV/AVCA poll will be released Jan. 7.

CSTV/AVCA Preseason Coaches Poll (Released Dec. 20)

1. BYU, 220 points (4)
2. Pepperdine, 215 points (9)
3. UCLA, 214 points (2)
4. Penn State, 197 points
5. UC Irvine, 172 points (1)
6. IPFW, 154 points
7. Cal State Northridge, 153 points
T-8. Ohio State, 113 points
T-8. USC, 113 points
10. Long Beach State, 83 points
11. Hawai’i, 72 points
12. George Mason, 71 points
13. Stanford, 38 points
14. UCSB, 34 points
15. Loyola-Chicago, 30 points

Also receiving points: Lewis 18, Ball State 16, Pacific 7.

Scott Flanders is UCSB‘s associate media relations director.