LEXINGTON, KY – Following a second consecutive trip to the Elite 8 in 2023, the Johns Hopkins volleyball team is ranked no. 4 in the AVCA Preseason Coaches Poll, as released by the association this afternoon. The Blue Jays' ranking is their highest in a preseason poll in program history, eclipsing Hopkins' previous best of sixth to start the 2021 season.
 
Two-time reigning National Champion Juniata is the favorite to win the title once again after claiming all 86 first-place votes, with 2024 runner-up Hope and a Final Four team in Claremont-Mudd-Scripps completing the top three before Hopkins comes in at fourth. Wisconsin-Oshkosh, NYU, Northwestern (MN) and Trinity (TX) — all of which were in the Elite 8 a season ago — round out the AVCA's top eight teams.
 
The Blue Jays will put themselves to the test early and often in their 2024 campaign, facing off against the top-ranked Golden Eagles opening weekend before taking on eighth-ranked Trinity (TX) and ninth-ranked Emory at the East West Classic the ensuing weekend. Other preseason-top-25 opponents include sixth-ranked NYU, MIT (13^th), Ithaca (19^th) and Mary Washington (22^nd) as well as four programs currently receiving votes in what will be one of the most challenging non-conference schedules in the nation.

2024 AVCA Preseason Poll Top 10
1. Juniata (86 First-Place Votes) - 2,150
2. Hope - 2,019
3. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps - 1,870
4. Johns Hopkins - 1,795
5. Wisconsin-Oshkosh - 1,757
6. NYU - 1,721
7. Northwestern (MN) - 1,654
8. Trinity (TX) - 1,568
9. Emory - 1,391
10. Wisconsin-Whitewater - 1,311