FLUSHING, N.Y. (Aug. 22, 2019) - Borough of Manhattan Community College has been chosen to win the 2019 CUNYAC Community College women’s volleyball regular-season championship, in a preseason poll announced on Thursday.

Under the guidance of head coach Odaly Aponte, BMCC will try to correct the course that ended just short of the team’s ultimate goal one season ago, falling to Queensborough Community College, 3-0, in the CUNYAC Championship.

BMCC, which earned two of the four first-place votes and 14 points total, will return sophomore outside/middle hitter Yolireisi Pichardo, who led the Panthers in kills (256) and ranked second on the team in digs (197) and blocks (12) in 2018.

Defending champion Queensborough Community College, which also tallied two first-place votes, trailed closely behind with 10 total points.

The Tigers, led by two-time CUNYAC Player of the Year Paola Beniquez, won their fourth-straight CUNYAC title last season. It was their seventh in the last nine years.

Additionally, Queensborough finished the year ranked No. 8 in the nation, and completed a three-peat of the NJCAA Region XV Championship.

Queensborough sophomore outside hitter Paige Hughes was recognized as the CUNYAC Preseason Player of the Year.

Hughes returns to Bayside after a two-year layoff. She was named the CUNYAC Rookie of the Year and earned a spot on the NJCAA All-Region XV Second Team in 2016. That year, she ranked fifth in the nation in service aces (87), eighth in service aces per set (1.02) and 62nd in digs (323).

The 2019 CUNYAC Community College Women's Volleyball Championship is slated to be held Monday, Oct. 21 at 4 p.m. at Queensborough Community College.

2019 CUNYAC Community College Women's Volleyball Preseason Poll
1. BMCC (Two First-Place Votes) - 14 Points
2. Queensborough (Two First-Place Votes) - 10 Points
T-3. Bronx - 8 Points
T-3. Kingsborough - 8 Points

CUNYAC Preseason Player of the Year: Paige Hughes, OH, Queensborough