Volleyball predicted to finish middle of the pack
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – A day before reporting back to campus for preseason training, the Simpson College volleyball team was picked middle of the pack in the 2022 American Rivers Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll.
The Storm collected 36 points in the vote and are coming off an 8-15 campaign which ended with a hard-fought, five-set loss in the first round of the A-R-C Tournament. Simpson earned the sixth seed in the bracket after going 4-4 in conference play, the most league wins since the 2010 season.
With 62 points and six first-place votes, Coe was selected as the preseason favorite to win the conference title in 2022. Wartburg, the defending league champion which advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 last season, garnered two first-place votes and amassed 54 points to rank second in the poll. Dubuque followed in third with 46 points and Loras picked up one first-place vote to sit fourth with 43 points. Central (31), Nebraska Wesleyan (29), Buena Vista (15) and Luther (8) rounded out the preseason rankings.
"I am extremely excited for this season - as I am every season - but I truly feel that we are transforming into the competitive program we want to be in the A-R-C," said head coach Kekailoa Palea, who returns for his third season at the helm. "All our girls are continuing to buy-in to our culture and we are attracting high-level talent to Simpson."
Simpson returns all three players recognized on the all-conference ballot last season including Jessica Jacobs who earned A-R-C First Team honors. Jacobs was a consistent attacking threat for the Storm all season, knocking down 341 kills for a league-best 4.15 per set average. During the conference season alone, Jacobs reached double figure kills in all but one game and finished with 46 more than any other player in the league.
Along with Jacobs, senior setter Marissa Salber and defensive specialist Iman Ghalibaf return to the court after earning honorable mention all-conference accolades last year. Salber dished out 634 assists during her junior campaign to rank fifth in the league and finished second on the team in digs (210), tied for second in aces (20), and third in total blocks (20). Ghalibaf will look to anchor the backline again this season after amassing 331 total digs including 178 during A-R-C play, the second most by a league defender.
Other key returners for the Storm include outside hitters Courtney Paxton and Blayne Koster who finished second and fourth on the team in kills with 119 and 73, respectively. Simpson's 2021 blocks leader Elizabeth Conroy comes back for her sophomore campaign, and Ellie Gray and Rachel Hardwick return as experienced defenders after combining for 250 digs last year.
Simpson opens the 2022 season with the first of two Wisconsin trips. The Storm will play Martin Luther and Beloit in Beloit, Wis. on Sept. 2 and 5 and 7 p.m., respectively, before heading to Whitewater, Wis. to face Ripon and Wis.-Waterwater on day two of the Wisconsin Blast.
Following their opening weekend, the Storm will head south for four games in Texas then make their way to Lincoln, Neb. for their conference opener at Nebraska Wesleyan on Sept. 14. Simpson's home opener is slated for Wednesday, Sept. 21 against Luther.
2022 American Rivers Conference Volleyball Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. Coe (24-8, 7-1 A-R-C) - 62 points
2. Wartburg (29-1, 8-0 A-R-C) - 54 points
3. Dubuque (12-18, 4-4 A-R-C) - 46 points
4. Loras (21-11, 5-3 A-R-C) - 43 points
5. Simpson (8-15, 4-4 A-R-C) - 36 points
6. Central (15-13, 4-4 A-R-C) - 31 points
7. Nebraska Wesleyan (11-14, 1-7 A-R-C) - 29 points
8. Buena Vista (10-10, 3-5 A-R-C) - 15 points
9. Luther (2-24, 0-8 A-R-C) - 8 points
