Simpson top IIAC Coaches Poll
INDIANOLA, Iowa - With 71 points and seven of a possible nine first place votes, the Simpson College volleyball team came away with the top spot in the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll, as announced by the conference Friday.
The Storm, which earned a No. 25 preseason ranking from the American Volleyball Coaches Association, returns five starters and the libero from last year's team which finished second in the conference with a 7-1 record. Simpson went 20-15 overall and advanced to its second NCAA Championship appearance in three years before falling to No. 23 St. Benedict in the first round.
Of Simpson's returners are four 2008 All-IIAC picks, including senior setter Tara Christensen (Hinton, Iowa), junior outside hitter Amy Schuster (Indianola, Iowa), senior libero Brittany Friesth (Adel, Iowa) and senior middle hitter Whitney Oviatt (Carnation, Wash.). Christensen also earned AVCA Honorable Mention All-America honors in 2008.
Simpson begins the 2009 season in Tacoma, Wash. at the Puget Sound Invitational Sept. 4-5, where it will face fellow preseason top-25 teams Puget Sound (19), St. Benedict (t-10) and Pacific Lutheran (13). The Storm opens the home slate with IIAC-foe Cornell Sept. 9 at 8 p.m.