Pacific Lutheran Narrow Choice to Win NWC Volleyball
| NWC Volleyball Coaches' Pre-Season Poll: |
2003 records |
| School |
(1st) |
Pts. |
All |
NWC |
| 1. Pacific Lutheran (Wash.) |
(4) |
76 |
21-5 |
13-3 |
| 2. Willamette (Ore.) |
(3) |
73 |
18-8 |
10-6 |
| 3. Puget Sound (Wash.) |
(1) |
58 |
16-12 |
7-9 |
| 4. Linfield (Ore.) |
(1) |
54 |
23-4 |
14-2 |
| 5-tie. Whitman (Wash.) |
|
43 |
15-10 |
10-6 |
| 5-tie. Whitworth (Wash.) |
|
43 |
10-18 |
4-12 |
| 7. George Fox (Ore.) |
|
35 |
12-14 |
7-9 |
| 8. Pacific (Ore.) |
|
21 |
10-12 |
5-11 |
| 9. Lewis & Clark (Ore.) |
|
11 |
2-18 |
2-14 |
(First-place votes in parenthesis. Points awarded on 10-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis).
Pacific Lutheran University and Willamette University will battle to supplant Linfield College atop the Northwest Conference volleyball standings in 2004, according to the preseason poll of conference coaches, and the Lutes are slight favorites to edge the Bearcats.
PLU picked up four of nine possible first place votes and 76 total poll points, edging Willamette's three first place votes and 73 total points. The Lutes finished 21-5 overall and 13-3 in the NWC last fall, one game behind Linfield. PLU will be tall up front, led by All-NWC outside Stephanie Turner. Willamette, which finished with records of 18-8 overall and 10-6 in the NWC, will relay on Third Team All-American outside hitter Kristen Halleck this fall. The Bearcats totaled 73 points in the poll and had three first place votes.
The University of Puget Sound (16-12, 7-9 NWC) is third in the poll with one first place vote and 58 total points. The Loggers will rely on Second Team All-NWC middle Sarah Bliss this fall.
Defending champion Linfield finished fourth in the poll with 54 points and one first place vote. The Wildcats finished 23-4 last fall and advanced to the NCAA regional. But Linfield must replace five of six starters. However, the one returnee is All-American right side Lindsay Harksen.
Whitman College and Whitworth College were tied for 5th place in the poll with 43 points. Whitman (15-10, 10-6 NWC) is coming off of a strong season, but must replace NWC Player of the Year Denise Kirstein. Whitworth (10-18, 4-12 NWC) struggled after winning consecutive conference titles in 2001 and 2002. But the Pirates have every starter back from 2003.
George Fox University (12-14, 7-9 NWC, 35 points) finished seventh in the poll and will move on without graduated All-NWC outside Nicole Bostic. Pacific University (10-12, 5-11 NWC, 21 points) is eighth in the poll after making solid strides last season. Lewis & Clark (2-18, 2-14 NWC, 11 points) was ninth in the poll and will strive to improve on last season's ninth-place finish.
The season begins September 1st.