Kansas debuts at No. 5 in AVCA Coaches Poll

Link AVCA Coaches Preseason Poll

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The University of Kansas made its highest debut in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Coaches Poll with a preseason No. 5 ranking released on Wednesday afternoon.

The lofty preseason ranking comes after finishing an unprecedented 2015 season ranked No. 4 and advancing to the NCAA Championship semifinals for the first time in program history. This is the first time the Jayhawks have been in the preseason top 25 of the AVCA’s rankings.

Featured on KU’s schedule is preseason No. 2 Texas, No. 18 Creighton and No. 20 Purdue. Big 12 foes Iowa State and TCU are receiving top-25 votes in the preseason poll.

Kansas has been ranked in the top-25 for a program-record 15 consecutive times dating back to last season, including 11 consecutive times in the top-10.

Kansas returns five starters, including Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year Kelsie Payne, from a team that finished the season with the best winning percentage in program history (30-3, .909) last season.

The 2016 campaign begins on Friday, August 26 at Mississippi State.

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