CLEVELAND – The Mid-American Conference announced its volleyball preseason coaches' poll and all-conference teams on Thursday with Western Michigan volleyball senior outside hitter Rachel Bontrager earning preseason all-conference honors.

In the MAC Volleyball preseason coaches' poll the Broncos were picked to finish third in the MAC West, behind Ball State and Central Michigan. Miami was picked to win the MAC East followed by Bowling Green and Ohio. Bowling Green is predicted to win the MAC Tournament with five votes.

Bontrager earns preseason All-MAC honors after a stellar junior campaign in which she led the MAC with 414 kills, averaging 3.70 per set. Bontrager recorded double digit kills in 25 of WMU's 28 matches en route to earning First Team All-MAC honors.

During MAC play, Bontrager ranked second in the conference with 3.69 kills per set and posted 14 matches with double digit kills and three double-doubles. Earlier in the season the Valparaiso, Ind., native became the 24^th member of WMU's 1,000-kill club.  

Heading into the spring season Bontrager ranks tenth in career kills (1,269) and fifth in both career attack attempts (3,662) and double-doubles (kills & digs) (34). For her career Bontrager is a two-time First Team All-MAC performer and a two-time Academic All-MAC honoree.

Bontrager and Western Michigan volleyball begins its season on the road this weekend, Jan. 22-23 at Toledo. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 spring schedule has the Broncos playing on back-to-back night, facing the same opponent at the same site.

WMU will play 22 regular season conference matches with the top-four teams at the end of the regular season heading to the MAC tournament. The tournament will take place at the site of the highest seed (best overall conference record) on Friday, April 2 and Saturday, April 3.

Below is the MAC preseason coaches' poll and all-conference teams:

2020-21 West Division Preseason Coaches' Poll (first place votes)
1.) Central Michigan – 67 points (7)
2.) Ball State – 64 points (5)
3.) Western Michigan – 45 points
4.) Eastern Michigan – 31 points
5.) Toledo – 23 points
6.) Northern Illinois – 22 points

2020-21 East Division Preseason Coaches' Poll (first place votes)
1.) Miami – 62 points (4)
2.) Bowling Green – 60 points (5)
3.) Ohio – 55 points (3)
4.) Akron – 28 points
5.) Kent State – 24 points
6.) Buffalo – 23 points

Tournament Champions: Bowling Green (5), Ball State (2), Central Michigan (2), Kent State (1), Miami (1), Ohio (1)

MAC West Preseason All-MAC Team
Rachel Bontrager, Western Michigan
Marie Plitt, Ball State
Natalie Risi, Ball State
Kalina Smith, Central Michigan
Lisbeth Rosario-Martinez, Central Michigan
Franki Strefling – Eastern Michigan

MAC East Preseason All-MAC Team
Emily Weigand, Akron
Katelyn Meyer, Bowling Green
Gaby Harper, Miami
Vera Giacomazzi, Ohio
Tia Jimerson, Ohio