SAN BRUNO, Calif. – Gonzaga sophomore middle blocker Alyssa Hughes has been named to the Fall 2021 Preseason All-West Coast Conference Team, the league announced Wednesday, while GU was voted to finish seventh in the WCC Preseason Poll by the league's 10 head coaches.

The honor is a first for Hughes, a rising sophomore going into her third collegiate season after a pandemic-delayed slate in the spring. The Portland, Ore., native started all 18 matches at middle that spring, recording 134 kills on the year and ranking first on the squad with a .328 hitting percentage — good for second in program during the rally scoring era — en route to the first All-WCC nod of her career. 

On the defensive side of the ball, Hughes also led the Bulldogs and the conference in total blocks (72.0), solo blocks (9) and block assists (63), ranking third in the conference in blocks per set (1.07) and solo blocks. 

Gonzaga was one of seven programs to place at least one on the 16-member preseason squad, led by five from defending WCC champion BYU and four from Pepperdine.

In the team preseason poll, BYU was picked to win the 2021 Fall WCC Championship with the maximum nine first-place votes, followed by San Diego, Pepperdine, Loyola Marymount and Santa Clara in the top five. Saint Mary's was selected sixth with 38 points, followed by GU (29 points), Pacific (27), San Francisco (19) and Portland (12).

A seventh-place mark is the Zags' best preseason projection since 2018, when they were picked to finish fifth in the conference. GU finished seventh in the WCC in 2021 with a 7-11 record, and returns seven from that team while bringing in nine newcomers — five of them transfers with prior collegiate playing experience.

The Bulldogs' fall season kicks off at 8 a.m. Friday in Starkville, Miss. against Southeastern Louisiana as part of the StarkVegas Classic, hosted by Mississippi State. Streaming will not be available for the Zags' first game, but check GoZags.com for up-to-date match time information and live stats.

2021 WCC Volleyball Preseason Poll