ELMHURST, Ill. -- The IUPUI volleyball team was picked to finish fourth in the upcoming 2009 season in voting of the league's volleyball coaches. The Jaguars, who return six starters from last year's squad, received 55 of a possible 81 points in the vote.
The Jaguars, who posted a 16-15 record in 2008, will be led by setter
Danielle Goodnight, a Summit League First Team selection in 2008 after pacing the conference with 1194 assists. Sophomore
Kalyse Reimbold also returns to the IUPUI lineup after earning Summit League All-Freshman Team honors as an outside hitter.
On the back of a stifling defense, IUPUI went 9-7 in Summit League play, leading the NCAA in digging with 18.65 digs per set. The Jaguars will rely on
Rachel Holmes and
Shari Bernhardt on the back row, while
Ashley Johnson and
Monica Suding will be counted on to provide pressure at the net.
In making The Summit League Tournament, IUPUI qualified for the tournament for the ninth time in 10 years, the best rate in the conference.
Defending conference champion North Dakota State, who eliminated IUPUI on their way to the conference title in 2008, were the unanimous selection to repeat in 2009. The Bison received 81 points and nine of 10 first-place votes (coaches were not allowed to vote for their own squad).
Finishing behind NDSU was IPFW, who received 70 points and the league's other first-place vote. Oral Roberts tallied 64 points to place directly ahead of IUPUI.
South Dakota State placed fifth with 51 points, immediately behind the Jaguars, while UMKC was sixth with 39 points. Western Illinois received 28 points in placing seventh, followed closely by Oakland and volleyball newcomer Southern Utah, who had 27 and 24 points, respectively.
Centenary rounded out the poll with 11 points.
The IUPUI volleyball team will take on the IUPUI Volleyball Alumni on Saturday, Aug. 22, in exhbition play. The match will begin at 6 p.m. at The Jungle.
The Jaguars regular season will kick off on Friday, Aug. 28, when they venture to Peoria, Ill., to compete in the Bradley Invitational. IUPUI will host the IUPUI Hampton Inn Invitational the following weekend, Sept. 5-6, competing against Miami University, Northwestern and Western Kentucky.
The Summit League Tournament will be contested Nov. 21-22 in Fargo, N.D., hosted by North Dakota State.
Summit League Preseason Poll:
| |
Team |
Points (1st) |
| 1. |
North Dakota State |
81 (9) |
| 2. |
IPFW |
70 (1) |
| 3. |
Oral Roberts |
64 |
| 4. |
IUPUI |
55 |
| 5. |
South Dakota State |
51 |
| 6. |
UMKC |
39 |
| 7. |
Western Illinois |
28 |
| 8. |
Oakland |
27 |
| 9. |
Southern Utah |
24 |
| 10. |
Centenary |
11 |
