AVCA Poll
 
LEXINGTON, Ky. – With the regular season set to get underway in just over two weeks, the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) published its preseason poll for NCAA Division III on Wednesday afternoon. Ithaca was once again found among the nation's elite teams in the coaches' initial voting, as the squad garnered 900 points which were good to appear at No. 11 in the initial poll of the 2019 season.
 
Wednesday's announcement marks the eighth time in program history that the Bombers have made an appearance within the AVCA Top-25 to begin a campaign. It is also the second consecutive year that Ithaca has been included within the Preseason Top-25, as the Bombers were tabbed at No. 8 entering the 2018 campaign. The No. 11 ranking is also the fourth highest in the program's history trailing just last year's initial placement, as well as IC's ranking following the back-to-back NCAA Final Four seasons in 1994 and 1995 when the team was tabbed third and sixth, respectively. Notably, the ranking is also one slot above IC's 12^th placement during the final AVCA Top-25 Poll of the 2018 season.
 
Ithaca's other appearances in the AVCA Preseason Top-25 Poll were: 13^th in 1996, 14^th in 1997, 13^th again in 1999, and 14^th again in 2000.
 
The 2019 preseason poll mimics the final 2018 poll fairly closely. The first four slots in the poll are identical to the final poll from last season. Defending 2018 National Champion Emory University scored the top spot with 52 first-place votes and 1,650 points. Calvin, the 2018 National Runner-Up, was second with 1,613 points, while 2018 NCAA Final Four qualifiers Juniata (1,500 PTS) and Wisconsin-Eau Claire (1,417 PTS) ranked third and fourth, respectively. The rest of the Top-10 saw a little bit of a shake up with the remainder reading out as follows: No. 5 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (1,364 PTS), No. 6 Wittenberg (1,317 PTS), No. 7 Colorado College (1,258 PTS), No. 8 Johnson & Wales (1,164 PTS), No. 9 Chicago (1,006 PTS), and No. 10 Aurora (982 PTS). Four of those programs finished the 2018 season within the Top-10 in CMS (No. 8), Wittenberg (No. 5), Colorado (No. 9), and Aurora (No. 6). Chicago and Johnson & Wales received slight bumps compared to their 2018 final ranking, raising from the 13^th and 11^th slots, respectively.
 
Much like the 2018 schedule, Ithaca's 2019 slate looks to be another grueling gauntlet if the preseason rankings are any indication. Of Ithaca's 26 regular-season matches, six will come against programs that earned placement in Wednesday's Top-25. Included in that group are matches against: No. 2 Calvin (10/18), No. 3 Juniata (9/6), No. 8 Johnson & Wales (11/1), No. 12 Wesleyan (11/2), No. 19 Berry (8/30), and No. 22 Hope (10/18). Ithaca will also have four matches against programs that received votes in Wednesday's preseason poll, as the Bombers also face stiff challenges with notable matches against: Carnegie Mellon (81 PTS), Susquehanna (19 PTS), Johns Hopkins (18 PTS), and RIT (18 PTS). Notably, only the clash against No. 19 Berry will be played on the home hardwood at Ben Light Gymnasium, with the big early-season battle between Top-25 programs taking place during the season's opening day on Friday, August 30.
 
The schedule features several road trips that figure to prove pivotal to IC's fortunes this season. The second weekend of the season sends Ithaca to Huntingdon, Pa., where the squad will face third-ranked Juniata in a headliner Friday night clash on September 6 and follow up with a morning tilt against Carnegie Mellon. The month of September also features another trip to Central Pennsylvania with a trio of difficult matchups against Mary Washington, Johns Hopkins and tournament-host Susquehanna at the River Hawks Invitational on Friday, September 20, and Saturday, September 21. Headlining the non-conference schedule in the month of October is a trip back to Michigan for the prestigious Midwest Invitational, which has the Bombers facing a grueling doubleheader against ranked foes No. 22 Hope and No. 2 Calvin on Friday, October 18. IC also caps the regular-season slate on a brutal back-to-back at No. 8 Johnson & Wales on Friday, November 1, and No. 12 Wesleyan on Saturday, November 2.
 
Ithaca is set to officially begin its preseason on Friday, August 16. The two-week preparation sprint leads up to IC's season-opening weekend at the Bomber Invitational, which is scheduled to be held at Ben Light Gymnasium on Friday, August 30, and Saturday, August 31. The Bombers open the two-day event with clashes against Ohio Wesleyan and No. 19 Berry at 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., respectively, on Friday. IC concludes the two-day tournament the following afternoon in a 4:00 p.m. tilt against Wisconsin-La Crosse.