Puget Sound Favored to Win NWC Title
| NWC Volleyball Coaches' Pre-Season Poll: |
2005 records |
| School |
(1st) |
Pts. |
All |
NWC |
| 1. Puget Sound (Wash.) |
(5) |
81 |
15-6 |
12-4 |
| 2. Linfield (Ore.) |
(2) |
70 |
21-5 |
12-4 |
| 3. Pacific Lutheran (Wash.) |
|
61 |
14-9 |
11-5 |
| 4. Whitman (Wash.) |
(2) |
53 |
12-12 |
7-9 |
| 5. Whitworth (Wash.) |
|
43 |
22-4 |
15-1 |
| 6. George Fox (Ore.) |
|
38 |
12-11 |
7-9 |
| 7. Lewis & Clark (Ore.) |
|
31 |
9-15 |
5-11 |
| 8. Pacific (Ore.) |
|
19 |
9-17 |
2-14 |
| 9. Willamette (Ore.) |
|
18 |
1-19 |
1-15 |
(First-place votes in parenthesis. Points awarded on 10-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis).
SPOKANE, Wash. -- Aiming for its first Northwest Conference championship since 2001, the University of Puget Sound is favored to win the NWC volleyball title, according to the preseason poll of conference coaches. The Loggers picked up five first place votes and totaled 81 points in the poll, to top Linfield College. UPS is coming off of a 15-6 season in which the Loggers tied with Linfield for second place in the conference standings with a 12-4 record and earned an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament.
Mark Massey, who was the 2005 NWC Coach of the Year, welcomes back First Team All-NWC hitter Kayla Roof, along with honorable mention selections Jamie Eggers and Monica Groves.
Linfield had two first place votes and 70 points in the poll. The Wildcats lost All-American Lindsay Harksen to graduation, but return All-NWC hitter Lauren Kreiger, along with setter Chelsey Gallatly. Linfield was 21-5 last year, losing in the second round of the NCAA tournament.
Pacific Lutheran University, NWC champions in 2004, finished third in the poll with 61 points. The Lutes hope to return to the top of the standings behind all-star setter Gina Di Maggio and middle blocker Katie McGinn.
Whitman College is fourth in the poll with 53 points, but also picked up the final two first place votes. The Missionaries return nearly all their starting lineup from 2005, including honorable mention All-NWC selections Rosa Brey and Lydia Hayes.
Whitworth, the defending NWC champions who advanced to the regional final of the NCAA tournament, is fifth in the poll (43 points) and returns no starters from 2005. Of the many losses the Pirates suffered, none would be greater than 2005 NWC Player of the Year and First Team All-American Natalie Danielson.
George Fox University (38 points) and Lewis & Clark College (31 points) finished just behind Whitworth in the poll, in sixth and seventh places, respectively. GFU will have to replace All-NWC hitter Linzi Stolsig. L&C showed great improvement in 2005, but must replace leading hitter Audrey Dilling.
Pacific University (19 points) is eighth in the poll after making solid strides last season and will rely on senior Megan Van Domelen. Willamette (18 points) was ninth in the poll and hopes the experience gained in 2005 will improve on last season's ninth-place finish.
The season begins September 1st.