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Monmouth Favored in 2011 Midwest Conference Volleyball Coaches Poll
RIPON, Wis. – After falling short in the 2010 Midwest
Conference Volleyball Tournament Monmouth was tabbed as the
favorite to take home the MWC Championship in the 2011 MWC
Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll.
The Fighting Scots (73 points) earned five first place votes and
narrowly edged out St. Norbert (70 points), who received two first
place votes. Lake Forest (65 points) was voted third and Beloit (61
points), the 2010 MWC Tournament Champion, earned the fourth spot
with both schools earning first place votes. Lawrence (44 points)
was a distant fifth in the polls followed closely by Carroll (43
points) and Ripon (36 points) in sixth and seventh, respectively.
Grinnell (31 points), Illinois C. (18 points) and Knox (9 points)
round out the poll for the 2011 season.
Monmouth Head Coach Kari Shimmin was the 2010 MWC Coach of the
Year, but there will be a new MWC Player of the Year in 2011, as
Ripon’s Anna Alvin graduated after winning the award last
season.
Seven All-MWC athletes return in 2011 including First Team
selections Claire Bohrer (Lawrence), Catherine Guido (St. Norbert),
Tia Rupnik (Lake Forest) and Kelly Rickets (Knox). Monmouth returns
a pair of junior All-MWC Second Team award winners from 2010 in
Chelsey Widdop and Claire Hermie while Lake Forest welcomes back
Cori Cooper, also a second team recipient.
Voting is done by the MWC head volleyball coaches. Each coach
votes for the nine other schools in the conference in order of
predicted finish. Points are assigned in reverse order of voting
(nine points for first, eight for second, etc.). Coaches may not
vote for their own teams.
2011 MWC Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll
| Place | Team (First Place Votes) | Points |
| 1 | Monmouth (5) | 73 |
| 2 | St. Norbert (2) | 70 |
| 3 | Lake Forest (1) | 65 |
| 4 | Beloit (2) | 61 |
| 5 | Lawrence | 44 |
| 6 | Carroll | 43 |
| 7 | Ripon | 36 |
| 8 | Grinnell | 31 |
| 9 | Illinois C. | 18 |
| 10 | Knox | 9 |
Team Previews:
1. Monmouth Fighting Scots
2010 Record: 20-13, 7-2
Returning All-MWC First Team: 0
Returning All-MWC Second Team: 2
Monmouth enters the 2011 season after earning the right to host
the MWC Tournament in 2010. Kari Shimmin begins her 14th year at
the helm of the Fighting Scots after winning the MWC Coach of the
Year award last season and graduates only two players from a 20 win
team. Last season the Fighting Scots ranked as one of the top
offensive teams, leading the conference in hitting percentage
(.189) and kills (11.44 per set) while also finishing third in digs
(17.40 per set). First Team All-Conference setter Molly Murdock
(9.02 sets per set, 234 digs) will feed Chelsey Widdop (367 kills,
398 digs) and Claire Hermie (251 kills, 36 service aces), both
junior Second Team All-MWC selections solidify the Monmouth
offense.
2. St. Norbert Green Knights
2010 Record: 22-10, 6-3
Returning All-MWC First Team: 1
Returning All-MWC Second Team: 0
St. Norbert Head Coach Bethani Thibodeau enters the 2011 season
after reaching the MWC Tournament finals last season and returns
all but two players from that team. The Green Knights were one of
the top defensive teams last season, finishing atop the MWC in
blocks (2.07 per set) and second in digs (17.67 per set) and return
its top performers in both categories in 2011. Junior defensive
specialist Catherine Guido led all MWC players last season with
6.14 digs per set and junior middle hitter Danielle Remy led the
MWC with almost a block per set. Remy also averaged 2.38 kills per
set and finished sixth in the league with a .271 hitting
percentage.
3. Lake Forest Foresters
2010 Record: 14-17, 6-3
Returning All-MWC First Team: 1
Returning All-MWC Second Team: 1
After returning to the MWC Tournament in 2010, Foresters Head
Coach Jen Saylor retains a strong team that looks to contend for
the school’s first championship since 2003. Lake Forest will
boast a young team, with no seniors, and return two All-MWC
performers from last year in juniors Tia Rupnik (First Team) and
Cori Cooper (Second Team). Cooper finished last season fifth in the
conference in kills per set (2.89) and seventh in service aces per
set (.40). Rupnik was one of only four players in the league to
average more than five digs per set (5.08) last season and will
solidify the Forester defense. Sophomore setter Tori Drasler will
compete for an opportunity to replace Deena Blanchard after
accumulating 239 assists while junior Molly McCloskey returns 307
kills and 298 digs to the Foresters’ lineup.
4. Beloit Buccaneers
2010 Record: 19-12, 7-2
Returning All-MWC First Team: 0
Returning All-MWC Second Team: 0
Beloit enters the 2011 season as the defending MWC
Tournament Champion after 19 win season in 2010. Dawn Redd will
lead the Bucs in her fifth season and will have to replace two
All-Conference award winners in 2010 All-MWC First Team setter
Caitlin O’Leary and Second Team outside hitter Mary Parker.
Senior middle Emma Kozera enters the season as the team’s top
offensive threat after accumulating 91 kills and a .178 hitting
percentage while also accounting for .85 blocks per set, good for
sixth in the MWC. Defensively senior McKenzie Falker finished the
season with 310 digs also chipping in 42 kills and 20 service
aces.
5. Lawrence Vikings
2010 Record: 13-16, 4-5
Returning All-MWC First Team: 1
Returning All-MWC Second Team: 0
The Vikings return all but three players from a 13-win
team that finished just two games out of making the MWC Tournament
under sixth-year head coach Matt Schoultz. Schoultz brings back
first-team All-MWC selection Clare Bohrer, who finished in the top
10 of the conference in both kills per set (third, 3.09) and blocks
per set (fifth, .94). Junior Shannon McLain added 2.49 kills per
set and a .199 hitting percentage while junior Jenna Picha (135
kills) led the entire conference with a .298 hitting percentage.
Sophomore Kathleen Rowland averaged 5.19 digs per set, good for
third in the MWC, while junior Emma Kane was 10th with .37 service
aces per set.
6. Carroll Pioneers
2010 Record: 19-10, 5-4
Returning All-MWC First Team: 0
Returning All-MWC Second Team: 0
The Pioneers missed out on qualifying for the MWC Tournament by
only a game and look for a return trip under second year head coach
Becca Saal. Saal returns four of the Pioneers top five offensive
threats for the 2011 season led by junior outside hitter Emily
Goebert who led the team 246 kills. Fellow junior Nicolette Rini
(185 kills) join seniors Amanda Trieloff (219 kills) and Heather
Kilibert (195 kills) to give Carroll a formidable offense for the
2011 season. Junior setter Samantha Deryna finished second in the
conference with 8.99 assists per set while finishing fourth on the
team with 265 digs. Senior Megan Falk led the team, and finished
eighth in the conference, with 4.16 digs per set and also serving
up 27 aces.
7. Ripon Red Hawks
2010 Record: 14-18, 4-5
Returning All-MWC First Team: 0
Returning All-MWC Second Team: 0
Ripon looks to improve after a sixth place finish in 2010 under
second year head coach Catherine Carrier. The Red Hawks enter the
season having to replace the 2010 MWC Player of the Year Anna Alvin
who led the MWC in kills and was third in hitting percentage.
Sophomore outside hitter Karlye Wehner is the team’s leader
in kills (297) now that Alvin is gone and also contributed 2.88
digs per set in 2010. Junior outside hitter Lisa Aguilar will join
Wehner on the offensive end with 220 kills and is the top returning
defensive piece with 3.48 digs per set. Sophomore middle hitter
Lexie Schaffer finished ninth in the MWC her rookie campaign with
.83 blocks per set.
8. Grinnell Pioneers
2010 Record: 11-15, 4-5
Returning All-MWC First Team: 0
Returning All-MWC Second Team: 0
Jackie Hutchison takes the reins of the Grinnell program for the
third season and is in search of the school’s first ever
volleyball championship after an eighth place finish in 2010.
Junior middle hitter Michelle Briggs returns as the team’s
top performer after a 166 kill performance last season as well as
leading the team with .98 blocks per set, good for second in the
MWC. Senior outside hitter Gillian Dryjanski is the only other
Pioneer to return with more than 100 kills, also finishing with 31
blocks. Grinnell brings back a powerful defensive duo in seniors
Kate Duran and Olivia Wilks. Duran registered a team-high 321 digs
last season, good for 10th in the conference, while Wilks finished
with 246 digs, third most on the team last season. Wilks also
averaged 8.18 assists per set last season, fifth best in the
MWC.
9. Illinois C. Lady Blues
2010 Record: 7-18, 2-7
Returning All-MWC First Team: 0
Returning All-MWC Second Team: 0
First year head coach Rachel Rohn takes over a Lady Blues
team that finished ninth in the MWC last season and will push for
its first MWC Championship since the 1998 season. Junior middle
hitter Melissa Norville enters as the team’s top offensive
weapon after a 2010 season that saw her amass 146 kills while
finishing fourth in the conference with 95 blocks. Senior outside
hitter Kathleen Fox compliments Norville as she tallied 143 kills
and was second on the team with a .215 hitting percentage in 418
total attempts. After graduating its top two setters the Lady Blues
will rely on junior Cassie Jarvis and sophomore Kaleigh Beaty to
fill the void. Junior libero Kayla Birdsell finished the 2010
season ninth in the MWC with 3.95 digs per set, also finishing
second on the team in service aces (24).
10. Knox Prairie Fire
2010 Record: 6-20, 0-9
Returning All-MWC First Team: 1
Returning All-MWC Second Team: 0
Knox Head Coach Kim Schrader aims overcome a tough 2010
season and move up the standings after going winless in conference
play and only winning six games overall. Schrader returns one of
the top players in the conference in 2010 All-MWC First Team
outside hitter Kelly Ricketts. The senior enters the season as the
top offensive performer after averaging 3.93 kills per set last
season and also hit .195 for the Prairie Fire. Rickets also
finished sixth in the MWC with .40 service aces per set and was
third on the team with 172 digs. Sophomore Kaylie Prince adds to
the offensive attack after 164 kills last season to go along with
141 digs. Sophomore Nina Mack returns after a successful rookie
campaign where she led Knox with 6.69 assists per set with senior
teammate Lisa Blagg contributed a team-high 247 digs in 2010.
