WALNUT CREEK, Calif. -- The 2014 Cal State East Bay volleyball team has been picked to finish eighth out of 12 teams in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA), according to a poll of the conference's head coaches.

The Pioneers recevied 46 points, ranking them ahead of Cal State Dominguez Hills (36), Humboldt State (36), San Francisco State (33), and Cal State Stanislaus (16). 

Cal State San Bernardino was tabbed to repeat as regular season champions, garnering 119 points and nine first-place votes. UC San Diego was picked second with 109 points and two first-place vote. Sonoma State, which returns 2013 CCAA Player of the Year Caylie Seitz, finished third with 105 points and the remaining first-place vote.

The top three squads in the preseason CCAA poll all appear in the preseason American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Top-25 rankings as well, with CSUSB at No. 8, UC San Diego at No. 11, and Sonoma State at No. 16.

Cal State L.A. (84 points), Chico State (82), Cal State Monterey Bay (62), and Cal Poly Pomona (58) round out the rest of the top seven CCAA teams as predicted by the coaches. 

The Pioneers finished in a tie for ninth place in 2013 with an overall record of 11-19 and a mark of 7-15 in CCAA matches. The team returns five upperclassmen from last year's roster, including Second Team All-CCAA honoree Veronica Sanchez, who led the league in digs per set (5.43). East Bay also features a deep core of young players this season with seven true freshman, several of whom are expected to contribute immediately. 

Cal State East Bay opens the 2014 season at home next Thursday with a 3 p.m. match against Notre Dame de Namur before hosting the third annual Route 92 Showdown at Pioneer Gym on Sept. 5-6.