It’s not just FIVB worlds that are fast approaching — the NCAA women’s season is also just around the corner. Rather than the (much too) overly-ambitious series I attempted last year, we’ll do it in 8 parts this year. And fair warning up front — it might spill into the regular season. But it’ll get done this year. Sorry that it can’t be as in-depth, but the upshot is it’ll get everyone. Four conferences will be visited in each piece, arranged as such:
Part 1 – (Sun Belt, Northeast, Southwestern Athletic, Summit)
Part 2 – (Atlantic Sun, America East, Mid-Eastern Athletic, Metro Atlantic Athletic)
Part 3 – (Big South, Big Sky, Horizon, Ohio Valley)
Part 4 – (Missouri Valley, Atlantic 10, Colonial Athletic, Conference USA)
Part 5 – (Ivy League, Southland, Southern, Mountain West)
Part 6 – (Western Athletic, American Athletic, Mid-American, Patriot)
Part 7 – (West Coast, Big East, Big West, Big 12)
Part 8 – (Atlantic Coast, Southeastern, Big Ten, Pac-12)
Yeah, there’s a method to how I arrived at that order. Maybe you’ll be able to figure it out, ’cause I ain’t tellin’!
It’s part 1, so we start with the
The Sun Belt regular season champions in 2013 were, pretty convincingly, the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. They went 17-1 in league and 26-5 overall. And then they lost three straight sets to the 8th-seeded Troy Trojans in the conference tournament, a shocking and dismal end to their season. They’re off to Conference USA now, leaving the Texas State Bobcats, incumbent conference tournament champs, as the top-ranked holdovers.
The Bobcats will need to replace two all-conference selections from last season in Amari Deardorff and Ashlee Hilbun, both gone to graduation. They were the team’s leading scorers last season, at opposite and middle blocker respectively. With redshirts and incoming recruits, this year’s Bobcats team is just as big as last years, in both senses of the word, with fully 21 players on the roster and solidly half (11) 6 feet tall or taller. Notable holdovers include setter Caylin Mahoney and outside hitter Alexandra Simms, the highest-scoring holdover from last season. It’s not too hard to see the scoring bulk taken up.
Texas State have one of the longest-tenured coaches in the sport, 37-year (all of them at TSU) veteran Karen Chisum (whose athletic website should probably be told that ‘alumnus’ specifically refers to a male graduate, but that’s neither here nor there). She enters this season with 781 wins, roughly top-20 (I could only find an outdated list) all time. The Bobcats open the season against the Lamar Cardinals.
The Arkansas-Little Rock Trojans (is it weird having two teams in the same conference with the same nickname?) come next. They should be primed for another solid run this year. Pin hitters Edna Begic (3rd most prolific ‘killer’ in the nation last year) and Sonja Milanovic, Serbian imports both, are returning from first-team all-conference seasons a year ago. Leading blocker Carolee Dillard — top 30 in the nation in that department — is also back. So with the front row pretty well squared away, where the Trojans need to improve is in the back row — service reception and digging. Both were plainly mediocre in 2013, and with a setter and an outside hitter the only new recruits announced for 2014, that may not be much different this year.
UALR start their season against Pacific.
Next we have the Texas-Arlington Mavericks. This season marks the 25th anniversary of a magical run to the NCAA Final Four back in 1989. Hey, I was only three then, but I have to think that beating the likes of North Carolina, LSU, and Texas always meant something.
The Mavericks have one of the most profound losses to graduation in the country, as they had the nation’s leading blocker Charmaine Whitmore last season, but she is with the team no longer. Back on the front line for the Mavericks is outside hitter Taylor Gross, second-team all-Sun Belt, but the dropoff from Whitmore to 2013 second blocker Ashley Bennett was almost a full block per set. This will be a lot to have to make up. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the team’s 2014 signees all list middle blocker as a position (though it seems a little doubtful that 5-foot-9 Qiana Canete would play there as a collegian).
UT-Arlington start their season at home, against the University of the Incarnate Word, which totally is a thing that exists.
Next up are the Arkansas State Red Wolves. It isn’t easy to pick anyone out off this squad, because they did not place anyone on the all-conference selection in 2013. And there really weren’t any statistical standouts — no player achieved 3 kills, 1 block, 5 digs, or 10 assists per set, all pretty standards marks of excellence. But that’s partly attributable to positional time-shares (certainly the assists one is), and statistical standouts don’t necessarily win games.
Returning for the Red Wolves in 2014 is setter Mallory Wallington (part of a 6-2 last year that one imagines will be re-formed with incoming freshman Krystal Puente) and team attack percentage leader Kelsey Reis. Both Wallington and Reis are sophomores, and the Red Wolves are a pretty young team this year — just one senior on the roster (outside hitter Sarah Kemp – a 2013 regular) and two juniors (outside hitter Kariana Castanon-Hill and defensive specialist Hannah Robey – both juco transfers).
The Red Wolves open 2014 at George Washington.
The South Alabama Jaguars retain two interesting holdovers from 2013, freshman all-conference picks and outside hitters Mechell Daniel (first-team and Sun Belt freshman of the year) and Jessica Lewis. Daniel profiles as an impressive player for a ‘big,’ standing 6-foot-3 but still managing to outdig every non-libero teammate. She is also one of just two Jags to play every set last season (the other is returning middle blocker Symone Stephenson). This is another pretty young team — blocks leader Amber Wyatt is the only senior returning from a regular role last season.
South Alabama open their season at Pepperdine.
Next we have the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns (best-worst nickname ever). They’ll have a little bit to replace this year, with middle blocker Tonice White gone from a second-team all-Sun Belt selection last year. Held over is fellow second-teamer, setter Andrea Hole. The Ragin’ Cajuns, who posted more wins last season than any year since 1996, had a notable weakness up the middle. They were out-blocked by their opponents — usually you don’t see that except with the very worst of teams — and their leading blocker was a freshman. But for this season, that just means that Chanelle Gardner is back with another year under her belt. Really no better way to get better, and with a slew of incoming recruits along with four seniors, this team has a good mix of youth and experience.
Louisiana-Lafayette will begin the season against Fresno State.
The (briefly) aforementioned Troy Trojans show up next. As the final team squeaking their way into the conference tournament, they had no all-Sun Belt picks in 2013. They were led in scoring by another Serbian product, outside hitter Marija Zelenovic, who is back as a senior for 2014. In a bit of an oddity, the Trojans don’t return a setter from 2013. They have two on the roster this year, and the job is probably Tineille Waggoner‘s to lose given that she’s a juco transfer rather than a rank freshman. Troy return their blocks leader from 2013, Kiah Cheatham, but this was even more of a weakness for them than it was for Lafayette, so she’ll need to step up and get some help if the Trojans want to make a more solid playoff run this season.
The Trojans start 2014 against Austin Peay.
Next are the Georgia State Panthers, one of still relatively few schools to offer ‘sand’ volleyball. Despite their low finish last year, they did actually have an all-conference selection, outside hitter Dede Bohanon. She’s a junior this season. Primary setter Natalia Nieto, blocks leader Andrea’ Ezell, and second-leading scorer Eliza Zachary are all back for 2014 too. The Panthers also have a name on their roster that likely rings a few bells to college volleyball fans — right-side hitter Kitan Ajanaku, older sister of Stanford standout Inky Ajanaku. Kitan was a semi-regular last season, having transferred from Long Beach State, appearing in 90 of the team’s 121 sets. The program adds two freshmen and two juco transfers for 2014.
The Panthers begin their season at Samford.
The Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks dwelt in the Sun Belt cellar in 2013, so it probably doesn’t surprise that they were unrepresented on either all-conference selection. Their biggest issue would seem to be size, as kills leader Hadley Swartz (a sophomore this season) is a scant 5-foot-8. I know liberos that size. There’s a tad more height up the middle, but the likes of Kaitlyn Shearer and Alannah Cullum will need to be more productive on the front line for the Warhawks to have a shot at the postseason in 2014. It looks like a change in offensive system could be in order, as Louisiana-Monroe ran with a 6-2 last year. And not only are both of those setters gone, but true freshman Bayleigh Hoffman is the only one listed on the roster.
ULM begin the season against Sam Houston State.
The Sun Belt adds two new member schools for 2014, both from the Southern Conference. First (for no particular reason) are the Appalachian State Mountaineers. They finished fifth in the SoCon in 2013. Standout pin hitter Emily Corrigan leads the cast of returners, having been first-team all-SoCon last season. She’s joined by setter Paige Brown (surprisingly not recognised as all-SoCon first or second team despite posting over 11 assists per set) and middle blocker Lauren Gray, a second team pick. Corrigan and Brown are juniors, Gray is a senior. Secondary offensive option Jess Keller and 5-dig-per-set libero Megan Mahoney also return as juniors.
The Mountaineers immediately position themselves as a team that should be competitive in the Sun Belt, and they open the year at home against Cleveland State.
The second team joining the Sun Belt is the Georgia Southern Eagles, champions of the SoCon last year. They faced Florida State in the NCAA tournament, losing in a three-set sweep. First team all-conference selections Kym Coley (middle blocker) and Jamie DeRatt (outside hitter) return as seniors from a squad that won 28 matches last season. Prolific setter Kat Minnerly returns for her junior season, as do blocks leader Crysten Curry and digs leader Alex Beecher.
With great success in 2013 and basically everyone back (a few prolific servers are lost to graduation), it’s hard not to project the same in 2014. And they certainly have a test right out of the gates, facing Florida in their first match this season. Their second is also against an NCAA tournament team, Oklahoma.
SWAG NCAA tournament representatives – Georgia Southern.
Last season’s runaway champs in the NEC were the LIU Blackbirds, undefeated and scarcely challenged in league. Then they lost three straight to Penn State in the NCAA tournament, but hey, beaten by the best.
There’s really no reason to think this year will shape out any differently. The Blackbirds bring back a lot of talent. A staggering five of the seven all-NEC first team choices last year were Blackbirds, and of the five, four are still with the team this season — opposite hitter Annika Foit, a senior this year, outside hitter Tamara Ignjic, junior, setter Vera Djuric, senior, and libero Adriana Viñas Joy, junior. Foit was the overall NEC player of the year, Djuric the setter of the year, and Viñas Joy the libero of the year. As if this embarrassment of riches weren’t enough, the Blackbirds’ lone second team selection from last year, outside hitter Mirjana Rajic, is also back for 2014.
I really don’t even have to dive into the statistics to know that this is hands-down the team to beat in the NEC this season. Kyle Robinson is the reigning NEC coach of the year to boot and is probably in line for another such honour barring a face-plant (it bears remembering that recruiting is part of coaching). LIU open up their season against Loyola Marymount.
The Central Connecticut State Blue Devils came in second last year, a fairly distant one at 3 matches the lesser of Long Island. Back from a team that did a lot better than I SWAG’d (I put them last in last year’s piece….though in my defence I said repeatedly that I had no real idea beyond the top spot) are juniors setter Makenna Lommori and outside hitter Heather Trueman, all-conference selections both (first and second team respectively). The Blue Devils return not one but two blockers to average better than a full block per last year, sixth-placed national blocker Rachel Dunlap and sophomore Brooke Schwab, who had an excellent freshman season in 2013. But I just don’t know if it’s gonna get them past LIU. Hopefully the matches between these two teams will be entertaining.
The Blue Devils open 2014 at an invitational hosted by in-state rivals Connecticut, first facing the Big Ten’s Indiana Hoosiers.
The Sacred Heart Pioneers are one of the two ‘volley-phile’ schools in this conference — a school that sponsors the sport for men as well as women. If it ever came to it, that’d get me to root for such a school ahead of one that doesn’t. But this piece is all about the ladies. The Pioneers were one of the very best serving teams in the nation in 2013, chalking up 1.89 aces per set (good for third in the country). The top returning acer is libero Ana Gonzalez (way to make a skill non-transferrable, FIVB!), who notched 38 of them a season ago. Opposite hitter Alissa Young was next with 32. Middle blocker Sarah Krufka racked up 21 aces in her freshman campaign in 2013, and is also the team’s highest returning scorer. But blocking is where the Pioneers are notably deficient, as they registered fewer blocks as a team than did a staggering 81 individual players last season. I know some playbooks emphasise some areas of the game more than others, but nobody wants to be that low in anything. The Pioneers made up for it with good back-row play, posting solid digging and opponent attack efficiency figures, but ratchet up that blocking and you’ll start to go places.
(Not that they need me to tell them that)
Sacred Heart begin their season against Cal State Fullerton.
The Robert Morris Colonials pop up next on the list. They were fourth last year, down from second the year before, and may struggle to do even that well this year. The good news is one of their revelations last year, now-sophomore outside hitter Arden Fisher, is back after a second-team all NEC selection in 2013. The bad news is she doesn’t look to have a lot in the way of a supporting cast. Blocks leader Becky Jay returns for her senior campaign, as does digs leader Melissa Bograd and also second-leading scorer April Krivoniak (as a sophomore), but none among them really put up the kind of numbers that impress. Hate to be so blunt, but this is a team that went 9-22 last season.
The Colonials begin 2014 against Milwaukee.
The St Francis Red Flash are the other ‘volley-phile’ school in the league. They had a second-team all NEC nod in 2013, but despite being a junior last season libero Breanna Kochinsky isn’t listed with the team this year. The Red Flash bring back experience at other positions, with 2013 kills leader Hannah Kutny and most regular setter Alanna Blenkarn back for this year. And I hate to flog a dead horse, but this is still another team with highly suspect blocking. Their blocks leader was a freshman last year, and no doubt Sophie Murdock will look to improve upon half-a-block per set in 2013 as a way to get the Red Flash over the hump and into the postseason.
St Francis open their season against IPFW (another ‘volley-phile’ school).
The Bryant Bulldogs weren’t a team I expected to see around the bottom of the league last year, but so they were. They had five seniors on the roster last year, but that experience amounted only to an 8-25 season. There’s just one senior on the roster this year, so there may be something of a dearth in experience for 2014. All major statistical leaders from last season are gone with the exception of middle blocker Sara DePouw (and Bryant did a fair job in blocking in 2013), who will only be a sophomore this season. The Bulldogs excelled at team defence last season, as no player reached even 3 digs per set but they were not substantially out-dug by their opposition (about a dig every two sets difference). Along with being the top-blocking holdover, DePouw is also the top-scoring holdover, so even as just a sophomore, it’s looking like a lot may fall to her in 2014. Other returners who saw substantial playing time in 2013 include outside hitter Annie Ericksen, middle blocker Taylor Onoyan, and libero Elena Lohr.
The Bulldogs begin the season against UMass-Lowell.
Next we find the St Francis Terriers — the other St Francis, as I’m sure they hate to be called. They’ve got a changing of the guard at the top of the mountain this year, with Abigail “Abra” Rummel taking the reins (the leash?). Normally a change in head coach means a fairly substantial change in roster — after all, the head coach who recruited you isn’t at your school anymore — but only two players on the Terriers’ 2013 roster who weren’t seniors aren’t back this year, so most of the previous head coach’s players have stuck around to play for Rummel. Kills leader Maggie Niu and blocks leader Jillian Tracy are among them. The Terriers are a solid blocking team, outblocking their opponents last season, but will need to improve in attack efficiency, being a whopping 100 points below their opponents in that statistical area last year. They had 365 fewer kills than opponents, but still 22 more errors, which isn’t at all what you want to see. The Terriers look to have run a 6-2 last year and it would make sense to do so again this year, as returning setters Kelly O’Halloran and Alexa Caporuscio both give up quite a bit of height on the front row (in contrast to some of their teammates).
St Francis start their season against Hofstra.
Last in the NEC last year were the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights. They were decent in blocking and digging in 2013, but badly deficient in the offensive statistical categories. Surely Maddie Gibbons will look to reach the block-per-set plateau she just narrowly missed in 2013, and perhaps the same may be said of Hanifa Addi, who put up a strong season in limited play. Digs leader Deborah Hong is back as a senior. But oh boy, hitting is gonna be a bit of a question mark this year for the Knights, and “bit of a question mark” is me being tactful. Their top three in kills from last season are all gone this season, and while someone’s bound to step up and score some points, it very much remains to be seen whether it’ll be enough to lift the Knights out of the NEC basement.
The Knights start 2014 against Maryland-Baltimore County.
SWAG NCAA tournament representatives – Long Island. Actually, I’ll be shocked if it’s not them.
In the sometimes-dizzying world of college conference transfers, you can count on the tradition-rich SWAC to stand pat. They added two schools in the late 1990’s and one in 1982; the move previous to those two occurred in 1962. Yeah, no need to continue checking who’s in the SWAC if you already know it.
The champions of the SWAC in 2013 were the Alabama State Hornets, who made the trip to the Pacific Northwest (my stomping grounds!) to lose three straight sets to eventual Final Four team Washington. They were the only team with a pristine run through conference play, posting a 25-16 mark on the season. The Hornets retain reigning SWAC offensive player of the year middle blocker Amber Bennett for this season, as a junior. Fellow middle blocker Myla Marshall returns as a junior after having been first-team all conference last season, though the Hornets lose two other first-teamers to graduation. Fellow outside Rachel Smith holds over having been second-team.
The Hornets are a very experienced team in 2014, with four seniors and six juniors on the roster. they’ll begin the season against Tennessee-Martin.
The Texas Southern Lady Tigers won the opposite division, as the SWAC organises their teams, last year. First-team all conference outside hitter Robyn Shannon returns from that squad, while two second-teamers are gone to graduation. Second kills leader Kali Fluke, the reigning SWAC freshman of the year, is back as a sophomore this season. One of the Tigers’ 6-2 setters, Sarah Wooten, is back, while the other is not, but three new ones join the roster, allowing for many possibilities to run that system again. The roster overall is pretty big — jersey numbers 1 through 19 are all assigned. There’s bound to be some redshirts.
Texas State start the season at home, against opponents not yet announced.
Next come the Alabama A&M Lady Bulldogs. Their only representative on last year’s all-conference selection was a first-team setter now gone to graduation. It’s hard to call out too many prominent returners, but middle blocker Ashundria McNeal definitely draws mention, leading the team in blocks as a freshman last year. Most other team leaders from 2013 are now gone. Regular libero Rebecca Cortez plays a junior in 2014. The most prodigious returning scorer is junior Savannah Blackiston.
The Lady Bulldogs will face Nicholls State to begin the season.
The Arkansas-Pine Bluff Lady Lions (ugh with these ‘Lady’ nicknames, but I guess that’s part of the SWAC tradition, too) are next up. Outside hitter Ashlie Jones was an all-conference pick last season, and she should be back for her senior year in 2014. I say ‘should’ because the team’s website hasn’t actually posted a 2014 roster. Most such players would be back, but it’s definitely not 100% sure. Other players who ought not be lost to graduation include second-leading scorer opposite hitter Ayanna Parker, regular setter Jordan Foyer, and digs leader Courtney Brand (hey, a fellow Canadian!).
UAPB also haven’t posted a 2014 roster, nor a schedule. So I don’t know against whom they’ll start off.
Next we’ve got the Jackson State Lady Tigers. Last year’s conference tourney loss broke a two-year string of NCAA tournament appearances, one they’ll look to restart this season. Kills leader Mikayla Rolle (a middle — like most of these teams) returns for her junior season in 2014. Rolle also led the Lady Tigers in blocks in 2013, and should realistically shoot for all-conference honours this season. Starting setter Jenna Siddqui and digs leader Karmen Jackson, whose name is in bold on the team’s roster for reasons I don’t know, also are back. Blocking was a strength for the Lady Tigers in 2013, but they’ll need part-timer Alexsis Ford to assume a more regular and prolific role this season.
Jackson State begin their season against Texas-Arlington.
The next team we check in on is the Southern Lady Jaguars. There’s not a lot of information on this team. They don’t have an accurate 2013 stat book, and only four of their players have roster pages — sophomore outside hitter Melodie Malone, senior middle blocker Marisol Macias, sophomore setter Phalen Clark, and libero Diamond Williams. Don’t really know much about them, but it’s easy to call them out. One would imagine they’re starters and holdovers.
The Lady Jags begin 2014 against Murray State.
The Mississippi Valley State Devilettes (hey, better than ‘Lady Devils’) are next. They don’t have a current roster posted, but they do at least have a stat book, making it a little easier to pick people out. Kills leader Halee Clark was a junior last season, so she is probably back as a senior this year. Same for both 6-2 setters, Alexandria Garland and Athena Abary, as well as digs leader Steffi Rodriguez. Which I think probably means the team will be about as good this year as last.
MVSU begin the season against Missouri.
The Prairie View A&M Lady Panthers come next. They have a hole to fill, losing a second team all-conference setter to graduation. The secondary setter last year is also gone. In fact, there are only six players currently listed on the team’s roster. No doubt there are more — there are no freshmen among those six — but it’s probably not going to end up being a big roster. Second-leading scorer from 2013 Candyce Alexander will be a senior this year. Holdover digs leader LaKeisha Allen will also be a senior in 2014. There is no one currently on the roster listed at the middle blocker position.
The Lady Panthers start 2014 against Grand Canyon.
The Alcorn State Lady Braves are pretty renowned as a low-calibre program even in among a league full of them. They finished 2013 with the very lowest RPI ranking in NCAA Division I, with just a single win to their credit (against a team not in Division I). This team still has only last year’s information available, with just a nine-player roster showing. The link for their stat book doubles back to last year’s roster. So there just isn’t much to say here.
Good luck to this team in 2014, which will begin for them against a school called Tougaloo College.
Lastly, we have the Grambling State Lady Tigers. Once more, only last year’s roster is available, but we do have a stat book to supplement it. The Lady Tigers return only two players to average more than one single kill per set in substantial playing time — opposite hitter Maya Lucas and middle blocker Brillante Osborne (if indeed both return). Only one of last year’s setters, Kiara Hogan, is possibly back. The team actually did decently in blocking last year, led by Osborne and Lucas, but have probably the shakiest service reception figures I’ve seen so far. An area of concern to be certain.
Grambling State may be unique among all NCAA Division I teams in beginning their 2014 season with a conference match — their first opponents are Alcorn State. One imagines there may have been a scheduling conflict later in the calendar, as the Lady Tigers will also play a standard slate of non-conference invitationals.
SWAG NCAA tournament representatives – Texas Southern. I guess.
Last on this rundown (can you believe I was originally planning to do these not four but eight at a time? Would anyone have even finished reading one?) comes The Summit League.
Champs last year were the IUPUI Jaguars, who were the last team to fall to the Missouri Tigers before they sustained their first and only loss last year. The Summit League has just one all-conference selection (albeit a bigger one than other conferences’ first or second teams), and the Jags placed four players on it last year. Junior outside hitter Kaitlyn Hickey and senior libero Beth Howard are the two who return (the other two were seniors). Middle blocker Logan Walling was also recognised, as an all-freshman selection. So she is, quite naturally, back for 2014 as well. Befitting a first-place team, they really have no weaknesses to highlight on their stat sheet, but neither do they have any particular standout performers — it’s all a team effort.
IUPUI’s season starts against Toledo.
The Denver Pioneers joined the Summit League last year, and had a very good showing in their first season, coming in second place just a match back of IUPUI. Two all-conference picks speak to their strength, but they’re both gone to graduation now. The Pioneers have one of the strongest incoming classes for 2014, so they’ll probably be just fine without them. Earlier this month, the Pioneers announced another transfer to add to that six-person returning class, erstwhile Penn State Nittany Lion Erica Denney. She hasn’t even been added to the team’s roster yet, but it’s likely she will figure prominently into the teams plans in 2014.
Notable holdovers include Summit League freshman of the year Nola Basey, fellow pin hitter Moni Corrujedo, who led the team in total kills as a freshman last year, blocks leader Sara Schmid, and part-time setter Bailey Karst. With some solid pieces in place and a great incoming class, it’s easy to project good things for Denver. They’ll open 2014 against Jackson State.
Next come the South Dakota Coyotes. They’re another team experiencing a change in head coaching this season, as six-year incumbent head coach Matt Houk accepted an assistant position with Minnesota this past March. Associate head coach Leanne Williamson was named the interim head coach at that time; about a month later, the ‘interim’ was removed.
The Coyotes bring back reigning Summit League player of the year Kendall Kritenbrink, senior outside hitter. She profiles as a very versatile player, being the conference’s leader in total kills (narrowly second in kills per set) while being a solid supporting player in blocking and digging. Dual blocks leaders Melissa Firtko and Kelsey Biltoft are also held over, and blocking was a real strength for the Coyotes in 2013. The position that looks a little dicey this year is setter. An all-conference setter from last year is gone to graduation, and true freshman Brittany Jessen is the only setter on this year’s roster. She’ll most definitely be learning on the job.
South Dakota’s season begins against Arizona.
Next we visit another volley-phile school, that being the IPFW Mastodons (no, I’m not going to call them “Fort Wayne” like Summit League media does). A fourth-place finish last year meant it was something of a down season for a historically strong program. They’ve got two all-conference selections back for this season with another year of experience under their belts, middle blocker Hailie Ripley and outside hitter Emily Spencer, who led the team in all appropriate categories in 2013. Regular setter Madison Spence, who just managed to top 11 assists per set last year (way ahead of the curve) is also back for 2014. Ripley will be a junior, and Spencer and Spence (ugh, say that five times fast) are seniors.
It’s a solid core bolstered by a five-player incoming class, two of whom are Division I transfers with two remaining years of eligibility. IPFW start their season against St Francis.
Up next is another team with a memorable nickname, the Western Illinois Leathernecks (it’s a dog, apparently? Leather leash?). Outside hitter Ann Miller was the team’s lone conference honouree last year (honourable mention in her case), and she returns for 2014 as a senior. Opposite hitter Samantha Fournier is also back for her senior season. She posted a slightly higher kills per set total last year than Miller, but in lesser playing time (injuries, perhaps). The team will look to those two for backbone scoring, though they’ll have to learn hitter/setter symbiosis on the fly as no player who saw substantial time as a setter last year returns for this year. The job likely goes to Elyse Keating, a sophomore and a transfer from Division II school Mount Olive (volley-philes galore!).
Miller is the only returner who played in all of the Leathernecks’ matches last year, meaning there will be a few new pieces to the puzzle for 2014. The story begins against Ball State.
Next up are the North Dakota State Bison, not to be confused with their in-state rivals who still aren’t allowed to take a nickname (they’ll come in a later piece). Outside hitter Jenni Fassbender leads the way as a returning all-conference selection; she’ll be a junior this season. Fassbender is clearly the focal point of the team’s offence; she got over 1,000 sets last season, and the next highest hitter got 543. She and libero Emily Milligan, also returning, are the only players to appear in every set for the Bison last year. Regular setter Monica Claxton returns from 2013 as well. I mention her not simply because she was an all-freshman selection — but also because she’s for some reason listed in Western Illinois’ stat book from last year. She never played for the Leathernecks, so I’m not sure how that would have happened. The Bison had three all-freshman nods last year — Milligan, Claxton, and middle blocker Emily Miron, who saw time with the US collegiate national team this summer.
The Bison first face off with Miami University in 2014.
Just below them on the map are the South Dakota State Jackrabbits. Middle blocker Tiara Gibson figures as their top returner, having been an all-freshman choice in 2013. But, befitting of a team that won a total of five matches last year, they’ve got some gaps to plug. Returning kills leader Larson Wagner is another middle, not usually what you want to see, and the Jackrabbits posted notable deficits to the opposition in scoring and in digging last year. And this is another team with a new face at the setter position, as last year’s principal starter is gone. Learn fast, Brooke Leatham. Learn fast.
South Dakota State’s season starts against Maryland-Baltimore County.
Last in the Summit in 2013 came the new girls on the block, the Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks (or is it just “Omaha Mavericks” now?). Middle blocker Megan Schmale draws immediate mention, making the all-conference honourable mention selection with strong enough numbers to say that those on the all-conference selection itself must have really earned it. No doubt Schmale’s goal for this year, along with team success, is to get her name on that list this time around. She’s a junior in 2014. Kills leader Kelley Woliak returns from last season, as do other positional regulars in Kimberly Bailey, Diane Banderas, and Michaela Schwimmer — all of them juniors as well.
A commenter on last year’s piece said to give the Mavs some time and they’d gel into a solid team, and I can believe it. I’d be surprised if they finished last again this year.
There’s one more team in the Summit League in 2014. The conference’s prodigal sons (er….prodigal daughters?) the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles are back in the fold after a two-year dalliance in the Southland Conference. They hung around in that conference last year, going 14-4 for a third-place finish. Senior outside hitter Sara Pope is the only one of three all-conference picks last year to return to see the Golden Eagles make it back to the Summit League. Blocks leader Jovana Poljasevic, getting the most of a 5-10 frame at a position that usually demands more height, returns as a junior this year. Kylie Johnson probably takes over at the setter position, having been an ‘understudy’ of sorts last season to a now-graduated teammate.
The Golden Eagles’ first opponents will be the Nevada Wolfpack.
SWAG NCAA tournament representatives – Denver.
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