2010 NWC Volleyball Coaches' Pre-Season Poll:			2009 records
School	(1st)	Pts.	All	NWC
1. Pacific Lutheran (Wash.)	(5)	82	20-7	16-0
2. Puget Sound (Wash.)	(4)	80	18-7	12-4
3. Lewis & Clark (Ore.)		52	14-11	10-6
4. George Fox (Ore.)		51	17-7	10-6
5. Willamette (Ore.)		46	11-13	8-8
6. Whitworth (Wash.)		37	10-17	6-10
7. Linfield (Ore.)		31	8-15	5-11
8. Pacific (Ore.)		20	7-17	2-14
9. Whitman (Wash.)		16	6-17	3-13

(First-place votes in parenthesis. Points awarded on 10-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis).

Four-time defending champion Pacific Lutheran edged Puget Sound by a slim margin in the 2010 Northwest Conference volleyball coaches poll.  The Lutes had five first place votes and 82 total points in the poll, to the Loggers' four first place votes and 80 total points.

PLU, looking to become the first five-time NWC champion since Willamette accomplished the feat between 1991-1996, returns three All-Northwest Conference honorees from last season's team that finished 16-0 in the league.  The Lutes must overcome the loss of 2009 NWC Player of the Year Kelcy Joynt to graduation.  But Beth Hanna, the 2007 and 2008 NWC Player of the Year, returns for her senior season, along with All-NWC setter Sarah Beaver.

Puget Sound finished second to Pacific Lutheran in the 2009 standings and the Loggers are hoping to make a run at their first conference title since 2001.  Brynn Blickenstaff, a First Team All-NWC selection as a sophomore last fall, returns to lead the UPS attack.

Lewis & Clark (52 points) nipped George Fox (51) for third place in the poll after the teams tied for third place in the final 2009 standings.  L&C has moved steadily up the standings over the last three years and looks to challenge for the title behind 6'-3" All-NWC middle Katherine Fiedler.  The Bruins have their own 6-3 middle blocker in junior Eliza Pledger, a Second Team All-NWC honoree last fall.

Willamette is fifth in the poll with 46 points.  The Bearcats will be led by senior outside hitter Molly Blankenship.

Whitworth (37) and Linfield (31) follow in sixth and seventh place, respectively.  The Pirates return five starters from a disappointing 2009 season.  Linfield hopes for a strong follow up from Katie Leavitt, who was second on the team in kills as a freshman in 2009.

Pacific (Ore.) is eighth in the poll with 20 points after last season's last-place finish.  But sophomore Alexa Block, who led the league in kills as a freshman, points to a better future.

Whitman (16 points) finished ninth in the poll and will rely on the precision of sophomore Courtney Brewer, who led the NWC in hitting percentage as a first year.

The 2010 season will get underway on September 1st as George Fox, Lewis & Clark, Pacific Lutheran and Whitworth open the season with non-conference matches.