Broncos Picked Second in SLC Preseason Poll

FRISCO, Texas – Boise State beach volleyball was selected to finish in second place in the Southland Conference Preseason Poll, the league announced on Thursday.

The conference also named four Broncos as Players to Watch. Marlayna Bullington, Rorianna Chartier, Emilia Guerra-Acuña and Sierra Land were all selected for the preseason recognition. Chartier and Land picked up the preseason nod for the second-straight season.

The Broncos received six first-place votes and 88 total points in the rankings, which consisted of votes from head coaches and sports information directors from all eight schools. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi was picked as the favorite to defend its 2023 title, earning 10 first-place votes and 94 total points.

Houston Christian (69 points) was picked third, followed by New Orleans (56 points) and San Jose State (51 points). Southeastern received 44 points to come in sixth place, while Nicholls State and McNeese State rounded out the poll tied for seventh place with 23 points.

Bullington joins the program as a graduate transfer from Austin Peay, where she played a majority of her career on the top court for the Governors. The Portland, Tenn., native was named the Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year and the OVC Pair of the Year alongside partner Kelsey Mead in 2022.

Chartier and Land return for their senior seasons donning the Blue and Orange. Chartier begins the season ranked third in program history with 51 career wins, while Land sits right behind her in fourth place with 43. Guerra-Acuña returns for her junior season after earning SLC First Team recognition last season.

The upcoming season marks the second-straight year that Boise State will compete as members of the SLC. The majority of conference play will take place at the SLC Midseason Tournament from March 22-24 in New Orleans, La. Houston Christian will host the SLC Championship on April 19-21, with the winner clinching the conference's automatic berth to the NCAA Beach Volleyball Championship.

Boise State returns all but two players from last year's roster and is coming off its best season in program history, winning a program-record 25 matches. In their first season as members of the league, the Broncos finished as the runner-up at the SLC Championship after falling 3-1 to Texas A&M Corpus-Christi in the championship match.

The Broncos, who received a vote in the AVCA Preseason Coaches' Poll, will kick off their season on Feb. 23 at the Cactus Classic in Tucson, Ariz. Boise State will take on Cal State Bakersfield and Colorado Mesa on the first day of the event, followed by matches against San Francisco and Arizona. The squad will wrap up its opening weekend in Phoenix, Ariz. with matches against UAB and No. 14 Grand Canyon.

Players Mentioned

Marlayna Bullington

Rorianna Chartier

Emilia Guerra-Acuña

Sierra Land

Related Videos