West Liberty, W.Va. – The Mountain East Conference released its annual preseason volleyball coaches poll on Monday, and the West Liberty University Hilltoppers were picked third in the always-competitive North Division heading into the 2025 season.

Wheeling was tabbed as the preseason favorite in the North, collecting nine of the possible 11 first-place votes. Fairmont State followed in second place with 37 points and one first-place nod, while West Liberty came in just behind the Falcons with 35 points and a first-place vote of its own. Frostburg State and Point Park rounded out the North Division standings.

On the South side of the conference, the University of Charleston was selected as the preseason favorite with seven first-place votes, while defending MEC Tournament champion West Virginia State was second after earning three first-place votes.

For West Liberty, the third-place selection reflects both respect from league coaches and motivation to continue climbing in head coach Makenzy Johnson's second season at the helm. The Hilltoppers showed promise in her debut campaign and will look to build on that progress with a strong returning core and an influx of new talent.

"We're excited about the group we have," Johnson said. "The preseason poll shows the strength of our division, but it also shows that other coaches recognize the progress our program is making. Our players are hungry to compete, and we're focused on continuing to raise the standard every day."

The MEC landscape remains one of the toughest in the Atlantic Region. Wheeling has won or shared the North Division crown every year since the league was founded in 2013 and advanced to last year's Atlantic Regional Championship match, while West Virginia State has captured back-to-back South Division titles and ended Wheeling's long run of tournament championships in 2023.

West Liberty will have plenty of chances to prove itself against that high-level competition when the season begins with non-conference play on Thursday, Sept. 5. Conference action gets underway later in September as the Hilltoppers set their sights on another strong year in the MEC.

* Coaches not permitted to vote for own team