SAN BRUNO, Calif. — The Santa Clara University women's volleyball team had three players named to the West Coast Conference Preseason Team Wednesday, while the conference's coaches voted the Broncos to finish fourth in the preseason poll.
 
2025 all-WCC first teamers Macy Hinshaw and Cate Shanahan landed on the 2026 WCC Preseason Team, along with Lexi Trapani, who earned all-WCC second team recognition a year ago. The Broncos tied LMU and Pepperdine for second-most preseason accolades, only one behind preseason favorite San Diego who placed four players on the team. SCU (17-12, 12-6 WCC in 2025) earned 55 points in the coaches' preseason poll, only four points behind third-place favorite LMU (59).
 
Junior setter Hinshaw led the WCC in assists per set (10.03) and total assists (1,154) as a sophomore in 2025 while starting all 29 matches for the Broncos. She had 12 double doubles and posted double figures in assists in all 29 games. She was named WCC Setter of the Week a program-record five times, posted a career-high 54 assists versus Portland on Nov. 1, and 23 digs at LMU on Nov. 13.
 
Redshirt junior outside hitter Shanahan led the team and finished sixth in the WCC with 372 kills in 2025, starting all 29 matches. She finished eighth in the conference with 3.23 kills per set, and was also third on the team with 202 digs. She had 18 games with double-digit kills and five double-doubles. Shanahan had a career-high 26 kills against Pepperdine on Oct. 4, and 17 digs versus Washington State on Sept. 27. She was named WCC Offensive Player of the Week on Oct. 6, and was named to the Catholic Challenge All-Tournament Team.
 
Senior defensive specialist and libero Trapani led the WCC in total digs (450) and digs per set (3.91) last season. She also finished second on the team with 124 assists, and was named WCC Defensive Player of the Week for the first time in her career. She had 24 matches with double-figure digs, including 10 with 20 or more. Trapani led the team with 36 service aces and had a career-best five aces at LMU on Nov. 13. She collected a career-high 24 digs at Saint Mary's on Oct. 11.
 
Defending champion San Diego was a unanimous pick to defend its title, receiving all nine possible first-place votes and 81 points. Pepperdine was a unanimous second-place choice, receiving 72 points and San Diego's own first-place vote (coaches can't vote for their own teams). Saint Mary's (5th, 54 points), new conference member Denver (6th, 44), San Francisco (7th, 29), Portland (8th, 28), Pacific (t-9th, 14) and Seattle (t-9th, 14) all followed the Broncos in the poll.
 
The Broncos' season starts on Aug. 28 in Dayton, Ohio, at the Flyer Invitational. Fans can purchase season tickets on SantaClaraBroncos.com and stay up-to-date with the program by following them on Instagram and X at @scuvolleyball.