NORTH BOSTON, N.Y. – The Penn State Altoona men's volleyball team took fourth place in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference's Preseason Coaches' Poll, which was released on Tuesday morning.

Penn State Behrend, the defending AMCC champion, was selected first in the poll, with Geneva College and Thiel College placing second and third, respectively.

View the complete 2023 AMCC MVB Preseason Poll

Penn State Altoona placed fourth in the AMCC regular season standings last season, posting an 11-5 conference record to go along with a 16-13 overall record. The Lions reached the semifinal round of the AMCC Tournament and were later selected to compete in the Eastern College Athletic Conference's Division III Championship Tournament, where the team finished as the runner-up.

Named as "Players to Watch" in the preseason poll were junior middles Jared Kish (Columbus, OH/Hilliard Darby) and Connor Ebersole (Altoona, PA/Bishop Guilfoyle). Kish was third in the AMCC last season in solo blocks (20) and hitting percentage (.345), as well as ninth in total blocks (66) and block assists (46) and 10th in blocks per set (0.64). Ebersole led the AMCC in solo blocks (32) while ranking seventh in blocks per set (0.68), eighth in total blocks (70), and 13th in block assists (38).

Penn State Altoona men's volleyball opens its season on the road Friday, January 20, traveling to take on non-conference opponent Southern Virginia University at 7:00 p.m.