Preseason No.8
MIAC volleyball preview courtesy of Matt Higgins and the MIAC office
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BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – A year ago, volleyball was as strong as ever in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC), but there were certainly some surprises. With the 2016 season just a week away, another amazing season is the expectation, but whether or not it will match 2015's unpredictability will be a major story line.
A year ago, Gustavus Adolphus College was picked to finish sixth in the league and dropped its first two matches of the new campaign … and then didn't lose again. After 27-straight victories, the Gusties had a perfect trip through conference play for a MIAC championship and two more postseason wins for a MIAC Playoff crown.
Gustavus was joined by two other MIAC teams – Bethel and Saint Benedict – in the NCAA Tournament, and that's where the two teams that battled in a magnificent MIAC Playoff title match handed off the baton. The Gusties' run came to a sudden halt in the first round, but Bethel rolled two three-straight wins to claim a regional championship and advance to the NCAA Elite Eight. The Royals came up just short for extending their run to the national semis, but combined with Gustavus and the Blazers to admirably carry the MIAC's flag forward.
Those weren't the only big surprises in 2015. The previous season's co-champions and Playoff finalists – St. Thomas and Augsburg – stunningly both failed to qualify for the six-team MIAC Playoffs. Meanwhile, Saint Mary's was another pleasant surprise, as the Cardinals shared third with Saint Ben's and just missed out on joining that trio in the NCAA Tournament. Concordia and Carleton rounded out the 2015 Playoff field, with the Knights pushing the Blazers to five sets in the quarterfinals in a memorable match.
The MIAC's collective strength was once again obvious in 2015. Last season, 75 percent of the MIAC's volleyball teams – 8-of-12 – finished above .500, with one more just a game below even. Six of those teams won at least 18 matches and all but two MIAC squads finished with winning records against nonconference opponents.
So what course with the 2016 season take? Last season certainly shuffled the expectations, as Bethel brings back a ton of talent from its Playoff run and Gustavus not only has numerous key players back, but also a 25-match regular-season winning streak to build on. Saint Ben's and Saint Mary's are looking to join those two in the battle for the MIAC title, hopes are high for continued improvement at Concordia and Carleton, and the Tommies and Auggies certainly want to re-join the party after a year off.
St. Olaf welcomes a new head coach – former two-time MIAC Player-of-the-Year Emily Foster – who succeeds legendary Cindy Book and hopes to trend the Oles upward. St. Catherine finished five matches above .500 and just missed a Playoff spot and both Hamline and Macalester had impressive records against nonconference foes as well in 2015, and now hope to translate that success over into conference play.
In all, there are 12 teams and countless coaches and student-athletes who are ready to build on last year's success, reverse 2015's fortunes, or to write a new chapter in the storied history of MIAC volleyball. And for all involved, Sept. 2 can't get here fast enough.
COACHES CAST THEIR VOTES
Though it's tight at the top, the MIAC coaches certainly remain impressed with Bethel's strong finish to the 2015 season. That led to the Royals finishing atop the 2016 MIAC Volleyball Preseason Coaches' Poll with 120 points and 10 of the 12 first-place votes. A look at Bethel's returning roster is all the proof needed to figure out why the conference coaches are so high on Head Coach Gretchen Hunt's squad.
The Royals (25-10, 9-2 MIAC) return stars at all the right spots, and the team enters the season ranked No. 12 in the nation in the AVCA Coaches' Poll. Leading the way is senior hitter Carlee Hoppe, who was the Most Outstanding Player at the NCAA Regional and an Honorable Mention All-American. She'll team up with two-time All-MIAC middle Kristin Stern at the net, with setter Katie Lubben also back to run Bethel's high-powered offense.
MIAC coaches expect Saint Benedict and Gustavus to be the Royals' top challengers, but barely separated the two with the Blazers finishing second in the poll with 105 points and one first-place vote, and the defending-champion Gusties receiving 104 points. Saint Benedict was 18-10 overall and 8-3 in conference play a year ago against a tough schedule to earn its at-large bid to the NCAA tourney, and Gustavus' unforgettable campaign ended with a 27-3 records and a perfect 11-0 mark in conference play.
Each team also returns plenty of star power, as both once again take aim at the MIAC's top spot. Saint Benedict's offense will again flow through Honorable Mention All-American setter Megan Pekarek, with hitters Brianna Schmiesing and Meghan Koop both back to lead the attack. Gustavus graduated MIAC Player-of-the-Year Alyssa Taylor and will certainly miss her presence at the net, but the cupboard is far from bare. Nora Holtan returns at setter following a rookie season that ended with both MIAC and Central Region Rookie-of-the-Year honors. Right-side hitter Taylor Trautman and defensive specialist Brittany Luethmers are also back in St. Peter, Minn., after earning All-MIAC honors in 2015.
Despite a year outside the Playoff field, MIAC coaches expect St. Thomas to make it an aberration and not a trend, as the Tommies finished fourth in the 2016 Preseason Poll with one first-place vote and 84 total points. Head Coach Thanh Pham hopes his experienced team can rebound from its 2015 performance (9-17, 4-7 MIAC) with seniors Taylor Lewis and Whitney Lloyd and junior Brooke Reichart all back to lead UST's formidable front line.
Saint Mary's shared third place a year ago and coaches expect the Cardinals to remain in the top five, as they received 71 points to finish fifth in the coaches' poll. SMU was 20-10 overall and 8-3 in the MIAC in 2015, and should have an explosive offense again this season. All-MIAC middle hitter Molly Urban is back to lead the way and she'll be joined by fellow juniors Sara Lind (MH) and Brittney Hanson (setter), who dished out 518 assists a year ago.
The conference coaches also expect Augsburg to return to Playoff form in 2016, as the Auggies received 67 points to finish sixth in the poll. Augsburg (19-9, 5-6 MIAC) had a great 14-3 nonconference record a year ago, but finished below .500 in conference play and missed out on the postseason on tiebreaker criteria. All-American Ashley Peper graduated, leaving a huge hole in front of the net for the Auggies, but Head Coach Jane Becker has veterans back at each position, led by All-American Honorable Mention setter Courtney Lemke, libero Macey Terhell and hitter Taylor Linn.
Carleton and Concordia each claimed Playoff bids a year ago, and the coaches expect them to be in the hunt once again in 2016 as the Knights were voted seventh (64 points) and Concordia came in eighth (59 points). Carleton (14-10, 5-6 MIAC) welcomes back Honorable Mention All-American hitter Lucy Stevens, as well as outside hitter Trish Hare and the versatile Caroline Duke as it aims for a return trip to the postseason. The Cobbers have high hopes for a talented setting duo, as Jena Klaphake and Mandy Mercil each had more than 400 assists a year ago and will lead the Concordia offense once again.
Hamline and St. Catherine occupied the next two spots with just one point separating the two St. Paul, Minn., rivals. The Pipers received the No. 9 spot with 41 points, and St. Kate's rounded out the top 10 with 40 points in the poll. Hamline was 11-15 a year ago (3-8 MIAC) and will be led by senior All-MIAC hitter Julia Zolonsky. She'll team up with middle hitter Beth Goodman, and both will receive sets from senior Amelia Jensen. The Wildcats welcome back All-MIAC and standout defensive specialist Shanee Herd and will again rely on the versatile Abby Palmer and Mackenzie Peper at the net.
The final two teams in the poll were also separated by just one point as St. Olaf (19 points) and Macalester (18 points) rounded out the preseason rankings. The Oles (9-19, 1-10 MIAC) bring back hitters Megan Grimes and Abby Carpentier and senior defensive specialist Abby Slack to lead the way in Foster's first season. Meanwhile, the Scots (14-15, 1-10) are ready to build on their 14-win campaign behind the return of All-MIAC hitter Clara Baumann and fellow hitters Brooke Hunter and India Medaris.
Fortunately for MIAC fans, the long wait from November to September is almost over, as the season begins in a big way on Friday, Sept. 2, with all 12 teams in action and a total of 23 matches that day. Teams will play nonconference matches over the season's first two weeks, with MIAC play starting with a full slate of six matches on Sept. 14. The regular season will conclude on Saturday, Oct. 29, with the MIAC Playoffs and NCAA Tournament to follow.
2016 MIAC Volleyball Preseason Coaches' Poll
Coaches voted for every team in the conference except their own team. Points were assigned for each vote (11 for first, 10 for second, etc.) Teams are ranked in order of highest point total to lowest with vote totals listed and first-place votes shown in parentheses.