Boise State Tabbed as SLC Preseason Co-Favorite
2/13/2025 10:00:00 AM | Women's Beach Volleyball
Four Broncos Named Preseason Players to Watch
FRISCO, Texas – Boise State beach volleyball was selected as a Southland Conference preseason co-favorite alongside Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, the conference announced with the release of its preseason beach volleyball poll on Thursday.
In addition to the preseason rankings, four Broncos were named SLC Preseason Players to Watch. Allyson Alden, Ava Anderson, Emilia Guerra-Acuña and Addison Wolden were all selected as honorees.
"We're excited and honored to be selected as co-favorites this season," head coach Allison Voigt said. "We've been working hard to reach the top of the Southland Conference and have been knocking on the door the past two seasons. Hopefully this motivates us to continue to work hard so that we can reach all of our goals this year."
The two teams garnered 119 votes each in the poll, which consisted of votes from head coaches and sports information directors from all nine schools. The Islanders received nine first-place votes and the Broncos gathered eight. Houston Christian received the final first-place vote and came in third place with 87 total points.
San Jose State received 82 votes and came in fourth place while first-year member Stephen F. Austin tallied 77 points to finish in fifth place. Southeastern Louisiana garnered 66 votes to finish in the sixth spot, while McNeese State received 40 points for a seventh-place nod. New Orleans (37 votes) and Nicholls State (21 votes) rounded out the league in eighth and ninth place, respectively.
In its third season as members of the SLC, Boise State is looking to avenge back-to-back runner-up finishes at the SLC Championship, with both losses occurring to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. The Broncos finished with a 31-12 record a year ago, marking their third-straight season with the most victories in program history.
Wolden earns individual preseason recognition after a dominant freshman year donning the Blue and Orange. Competing in 42 matches for the Broncos, the Denver, Colo., native broke a Boise State single-season wins record by garnering 34 victories. Wolden was named First Team All-SLC at the No. 4 position alongside partner Abbie Wolf, and matched the program record by rattling off 14 consecutive wins from March 16 to April 12. She took down four ranked opponents on the season and finished with an unblemished 4-0 mark at the SLC Championship.
Anderson and Guerra-Acuña competed as partners last season and earned Second Team All-SLC recognition as the No. 2 pair. The tandem started the season from the No. 3 position before moving up to the No. 2 court, finishing the year with a 25-17 record and picking up four victories over top 20 opponents. Guerra-Acuña enters her senior season ranked third on the program's all-time wins list (65), while Anderson sits in eighth place with 41 career victories.
Alden joins the Boise State roster after transferring from MiraCosta College. The redshirt senior played at the No. 1 position all season and led the Spartans to a 17-9 record, a second-place finish in the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference, and a third-place finish at the 3C2A team state championship. Prior to her time at MiraCosta, Alden played both indoor and beach volleyball at San Jose State.
Boise State will open its quest for a SLC Championship on Feb. 28 at the Cactus Classic in Tucson, Ariz., with a neutral-site match against Arizona State.
Southland Conference Preseason Poll
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Southland Conference Players To Watch
Allyson Alden, Boise State
Ava Anderson, Boise State
Emilia Guerra-Acuña, Boise State
Addison Wolden, Boise State
Kristin Gilmour, Houston Christian
Rachel Heilbrun, Houston Christian
Paige Palmer, Houston Christian
Alisia Silverthorn, Houston Christian
Rylee Lansing, McNeese State
Stavroula Papazoglou, McNeese State
Ivana De Carvalho Peixe, New Orleans
Nikelle Lander, New Orleans
Quincy Cummard, Nicholls State
Addison Prine, Nicholls State
Tierney Terrell, Nicholls State
Brooklynn Wilkinson, Nicholls State
Katie Hansen, Stephen F. Austin
Addison DeMarse, San Jose State
Kiara Edwards, San Jose State
Jada Hall, San Jose State
Sabrina Moore, San Jose State
Gabriela Hrubanova, Southeastern Louisiana
Alexis Logarbo, Southeastern Louisiana
Mia McKinney, Southeastern Louisiana
Mia Sauers, Southeastern Louisiana
Kristin Bobay, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
Madison Morrow, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
Millie Olsson, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
Tess Spaansen, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
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In addition to the preseason rankings, four Broncos were named SLC Preseason Players to Watch. Allyson Alden, Ava Anderson, Emilia Guerra-Acuña and Addison Wolden were all selected as honorees.
"We're excited and honored to be selected as co-favorites this season," head coach Allison Voigt said. "We've been working hard to reach the top of the Southland Conference and have been knocking on the door the past two seasons. Hopefully this motivates us to continue to work hard so that we can reach all of our goals this year."
The two teams garnered 119 votes each in the poll, which consisted of votes from head coaches and sports information directors from all nine schools. The Islanders received nine first-place votes and the Broncos gathered eight. Houston Christian received the final first-place vote and came in third place with 87 total points.
San Jose State received 82 votes and came in fourth place while first-year member Stephen F. Austin tallied 77 points to finish in fifth place. Southeastern Louisiana garnered 66 votes to finish in the sixth spot, while McNeese State received 40 points for a seventh-place nod. New Orleans (37 votes) and Nicholls State (21 votes) rounded out the league in eighth and ninth place, respectively.
In its third season as members of the SLC, Boise State is looking to avenge back-to-back runner-up finishes at the SLC Championship, with both losses occurring to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. The Broncos finished with a 31-12 record a year ago, marking their third-straight season with the most victories in program history.
Wolden earns individual preseason recognition after a dominant freshman year donning the Blue and Orange. Competing in 42 matches for the Broncos, the Denver, Colo., native broke a Boise State single-season wins record by garnering 34 victories. Wolden was named First Team All-SLC at the No. 4 position alongside partner Abbie Wolf, and matched the program record by rattling off 14 consecutive wins from March 16 to April 12. She took down four ranked opponents on the season and finished with an unblemished 4-0 mark at the SLC Championship.
Anderson and Guerra-Acuña competed as partners last season and earned Second Team All-SLC recognition as the No. 2 pair. The tandem started the season from the No. 3 position before moving up to the No. 2 court, finishing the year with a 25-17 record and picking up four victories over top 20 opponents. Guerra-Acuña enters her senior season ranked third on the program's all-time wins list (65), while Anderson sits in eighth place with 41 career victories.
Alden joins the Boise State roster after transferring from MiraCosta College. The redshirt senior played at the No. 1 position all season and led the Spartans to a 17-9 record, a second-place finish in the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference, and a third-place finish at the 3C2A team state championship. Prior to her time at MiraCosta, Alden played both indoor and beach volleyball at San Jose State.
Boise State will open its quest for a SLC Championship on Feb. 28 at the Cactus Classic in Tucson, Ariz., with a neutral-site match against Arizona State.
Southland Conference Preseason Poll
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| Rank | Team (1st Place Votes) | Votes |
| 1. | Boise State (8) | 119 |
| 1. | Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (9) | 119 |
| 3. | Houston Christian (1) | 87 |
| 4. | San Jose State | 82 |
| 5. | Stephen F. Austin | 77 |
| 6. | Southeastern Louisiana | 66 |
| 7. | McNeese State | 40 |
| 8. | New Orleans | 37 |
| 9. | Nicholls State | 21 |
Southland Conference Players To Watch
Allyson Alden, Boise State
Ava Anderson, Boise State
Emilia Guerra-Acuña, Boise State
Addison Wolden, Boise State
Kristin Gilmour, Houston Christian
Rachel Heilbrun, Houston Christian
Paige Palmer, Houston Christian
Alisia Silverthorn, Houston Christian
Rylee Lansing, McNeese State
Stavroula Papazoglou, McNeese State
Ivana De Carvalho Peixe, New Orleans
Nikelle Lander, New Orleans
Quincy Cummard, Nicholls State
Addison Prine, Nicholls State
Tierney Terrell, Nicholls State
Brooklynn Wilkinson, Nicholls State
Katie Hansen, Stephen F. Austin
Addison DeMarse, San Jose State
Kiara Edwards, San Jose State
Jada Hall, San Jose State
Sabrina Moore, San Jose State
Gabriela Hrubanova, Southeastern Louisiana
Alexis Logarbo, Southeastern Louisiana
Mia McKinney, Southeastern Louisiana
Mia Sauers, Southeastern Louisiana
Kristin Bobay, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
Madison Morrow, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
Millie Olsson, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
Tess Spaansen, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
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Players Mentioned
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