NSIC RELEASE
ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference announced today that the Augustana volleyball team has been picked to finish sixth in the 2010 Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Vikings received 104 points in the poll voted on by the conference's 14 head coaches. Concordia University, St. Paul was tabbed the preseason favorite, and the Golden Bears' Emily Palkert picked as the NSIC Preseason Player of the Year.
CU's 11 first-place votes makes for the seventh consecutive season it has been selected as the top preseason team. Minnesota Duluth, Wayne State and Southwest Minnesota State fell in ahead of Augustana.
Augustana's
Jordan Spatenka was named a Preseason Player to Watch. She had 154 kills and 33 blocks last season.
Head coach
Ashley Buckley returns for her third season as the leader of Augustana volleyball. Last season, she guided the Vikings to a 14-18 overall record and a seventh-place finish in the conference standings with a 9-11 mark in NSIC play.
The Vikings return five starters from last season's team, including All-NSIC honorable selection
Grace Sanders. The sophomore libero dug up a team-best 514 balls last season. Senior middle blocker
Brianna Erickson is also back and coming off a 103-block season in 2009. The front row also welcomes back sophomore outside hitter
Megan Bezdicek, who recorded 217 kills last season. Spatenka rounds out a solid corps of returning hitters for the Vikings.
Augustana volleyball reports for practice on Aug. 16. The Vikings open the 2010 season on Sept. 3 when they travel to the Oredigger Classic in Golden, Colo., for four matches. The Vikings' first conference match is at home on Sept. 17 against Upper Iowa.
2010 NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. Concordia, St. Paul (11), 166
2. Minnesota Duluth (2) ,147
3. Minnesota State (1), 142
4. Wayne State, 136
5. Southwest Minnesota State, 134
6. Augustana, 104
7. MSU Moorhead, 95
8. Winona State, 76
9. Upper Iowa, 73
10. Northern State, 62
11. St. Cloud State, 54
12. Bemidji State, 41
13. Minnesota, Crookston, 25
14. University of Mary, 19
