In exclusive balloting by the league's head coaches, defending SCAC regular season champion Trinity University is the preseason favorite to win the 2023 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference women's volleyball title. Checking in at fifth place was the University of St. Thomas with 48 points, just one shy of conference rival Texas Lutheran with 49. On the heels of its second-straight undefeated season in SCAC play and a magical run to the NCAA Division III National Championship match, the Trinity program looks to capture its third conference tournament title in the last five years. The Texas Tigers, who begin the season ranked second in the ACVA coaches' poll, earned seven of the nine first-place votes cast by league head coaches for 79 total points. Colorado College, which has made 13 NCAA Tournament appearances since 2008 and finished as the SCAC Tournament runner-up last season, garnered the final two first-place votes to place second in the poll with 72 total points. Southwestern University, following its ninth season since 2013 with 10 or more conference victories, rounded out the top three in the poll with 65 points. Reigning SCAC Tournament Champion, Texas Lutheran University edged out University of St. Thomas for fourth with 49 total points, while the Celts checked in at fifth with 48 points. After qualifying for its 16th-straight SCAC Tournament a season ago, Austin College finished sixth in the poll with 44 points. Right off the bat, the Celts will kick off the 2023 season at home against non-conference foe Letourneau on September 1st. This will lead to the opening weekend during which St. Thomas will face the Yellowjackets again on September 2nd. After that, the Celts will face ASC Champion Texas-Dallas in an early-season test on September 5th. Following that, the team will compete at the ETBU Tiger Invitational. St. Thomas will face four regional foes to help bolster their resume at this highly anticipated tournament. After that, it only gets more competitive as the Celts will travel to California for the Cal-Lutheran Invitational on September 15th-16th. St. Thomas will face highly touted Cal Lutheran and La-Verne at that tournament to prepare them for SCAC play.
The Celts finished with a program-best seven wins in SCAC play last season. This season, though, St. Thomas will be tested early with National Runner-up Trinity University on opening weekend. On their path to a conference championship, they will also face other nationally recognized programs, including Colorado College, Texas Lutheran, and Southwestern. Texas Lutheran and Southwestern will take on the Celts at the JAAC on September 29th, 30th, and November 3rd.
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