Puget Sound Picked to Repeat Volleyball Title in 2001
| NWC Volleyball Coaches' Pre-Season Poll: |
2000 records |
| School |
(1st) |
Pts. |
All |
NWC |
| 1. Puget Sound (Wash.) |
(6) |
84 |
25-1 |
16-0 |
| 2. Whitworth (Wash.) |
(3) |
76 |
17-8 |
12-4 |
| 3. Pacific Lutheran (Wash.) |
|
58 |
14-11 |
9-7 |
| 4. Linfield (Ore.) |
|
49 |
15-8 |
12-4 |
| 5. Whitman (Wash.) |
|
44 |
17-10 |
8-8 |
| 6. Willamette (Ore.) |
|
38 |
10-14 |
7-9 |
| 7. George Fox (Ore.) |
|
36 |
7-15 |
5-11 |
| 8. Lewis & Clark (Ore.) |
|
16 |
2-18 |
2-14 |
| 9. Pacific (Ore.) |
|
13 |
4-17 |
1-15 |
(First-place votes in parenthesis. Points awarded on 10-8-7-5-4-3-2-1 basis).
Defending champion University of Puget Sound is the early favorite to repeat as Northwest Conference volleyball titlist in 2001. The Loggers, who finished 25-1 and advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals in 2000, received six of nine first place votes and 84 total points. Karen Elmgren, the 2000 NWC Player of the Year returns to lead UPS. The Loggers, who swept to a perfect (16-0) NWC record last season, are also led by 2000 NWC Coach of the Year Mark Massey.
Whitworth College received the other three first place votes and a total of 76 points in the poll. The Pirates, who tied for second last season in the NWC with an overall record of 17-8 and a conference record of 12-4, return all six of their starters.
Pacific Lutheran University, the 1999 NWC champions, was picked to finish 3rd. The Lutes received 58 points in the poll and were as high as second on two of the ballots.
Linfield College, which finished tied with Whitworth for second place in the NWC last season, is fourth in the poll with 49 points. The Wildcats were picked 7th in last season's poll before their strong showing.
Whitman College, Willamette University and George Fox University were fifth through seventh in the poll. Those positions mirror the teams' finish in last season's final standings. Whitman had 44 points, Willamette received 38 points and George Fox took 36 points in the poll.
Lewis & Clark College and Pacific University were selected eighth and ninth, respectively, which also mirrors the teams' finishes last season.
The season gets underway August 31st.