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Date Posted: 11:31:56 08/23/03 Sat
Author: Starter
Subject: IUPUI tabbed as favorite in preseason VB poll

IUPUI tabbed as favorite in close 2003 Mid-Con Volleyball race

8/20/2003

Coach Steve Payne's IUPUI team returns six starters in 2003, and has been tabbed as the favorite to win this season's Mid-Con Volleyball title

For the first time in recent memory, there’s a new team favored to win the Mid-Continent Conference volleyball crown. IUPUI, which welcomes back all six of its starters after a runner-up finish in last season’s Mid-Con Tournament, has been tabbed as the team to unseat perennial favorite Oral Roberts in 2003. The Jaguars narrowly edged Valparaiso and Oral Roberts, who were second and third, respectively, in a preseason poll of league coaches. IUPUI recorded four first-place votes, while the Crusaders and Golden Eagles split the remaining four first-place nods.

IUPUI (13-19, 9-3 Mid-Con) won 11 of its final 17 matches last season, finished in a tie for second place in the regular-season standings, and pushed top-seeded Oral Roberts to four games in the Mid-Con Tournament title match. Head coach Steve Payne’s squad returns a total of ten letterwinners from last season’s squad, including outside hitters Rebekah Pallikan and Michelle Sobocinski, who were both first-team all-conference honorees in 2003. Pallikan became the first IUPUI player to win Mid-Con Volleyball Player of the Year honors after averaging a whopping 4.89 kills and 3.57 digs per game, and was named to the AVCA All-Region Team; Sobocinski added 3.24 kills and 3.05 digs per game.

Under first-year coach Carin Avery, Valparaiso (20-10, 9-3 Mid-Con) posted its first 20-win season since 1996 and finished in a tie with IUPUI for second place in the final standings last season. Avery’s squad appears to be stocked this season, with five starters returning, including setter Cyndi Norman, a two-time first-team all-conference honoree, as well as middle blocker Heather Hynds and outside hitter Michelle Robinson, who were second-team all-league selections. Norman (10.82 apg) enters her final season with a shot of becoming the conference’s career assists leader, while Robinson and Hynds posted team bests of 3.28 kills and 1.05 blocks per game, respectively.

Oral Roberts (22-11, 11-1 Mid-Con) has ruled the roost of the Mid-Con since joining the league prior to the 1997 season, capturing five consecutive regular-season titles and six straight Mid-Con Tourney crowns. However, first-year coach Sheera Sirola’s team will include only three significant contributors from the 2002 squad. Among that trio is second-team all-conference pick Becky Dreher, who dazzled in her new role as the team’s libero last season, establishing conference single-season records for total digs (611) and digs per game average (5.27), the latter ranking fourth in NCAA Division I.

UMKC (14-18, 5-7 Mid-Con) started hot last season, winning six of seven matches (including a tournament title at Southern Illinois) before injuries beset coach Steve Dallman’s squad. The Kangaroos, picked to repeat their fourth-place finish of a year ago, return first-team all-conference performer Sara Foster, a middle hitter who averaged 3.04 kills and 0.75 blocks per game last year.

Western Illinois (3-26, 3-9 Mid-Con) challenged for a Mid-Con Tournament berth last season, but an injury to Newcomer of the Year Jessica Manning hindered those chances. Picked fifth in 2003, second-year coach Kym McKay overhauled her roster by bringing in 12 new faces to join her four returnees. Manning returns after averaging 3.02 kills and 3.88 digs per game as a rookie last season.

Oakland (4-27, 4-8 Mid-Con) will have its third coach in as many years in 2003, as Dave Schmidlin takes over the Golden Grizzlies, who were picked sixth in the preseason poll. He will benefit from the return of ten of the squad’s 11 letterwinners from last season, including middle blocker Amanda Fowler. She averaged 2.04 kills and 0.98 blocks per game in 2002 on her way to All-Newcomer Team honors.

Chicago State (4-25, 1-11 Mid-Con), which finished seventh in the final standings last season, was picked in the same spot in the preseason poll. Coach Heidi Cartisser’s team boasts seven returnees, including middle blocker Andrea Rose, who averaged 3.25 kills and 0.97 blocks per game last season as a newcomer.

Centenary (13-30), a newcomer to the Mid-Con in 2003, was picked eighth in the preseason poll. Second-year coach Jenny Hazelwood’s Ladies made great strides in 2002, winning 13 matches. Her top six players from a year ago return, including outside hitter Kelley Heckman, who averaged 2.79 kills and 3.74 digs per game.

The top four finishers in the final regular-season standings will compete in the 2003 Mid-Con Volleyball Tournament, which will be held on November 21-22, at the Athletics-Recreation Center on the campus of Valparaiso. The winner of that event will earn the league’s automatic berth to the 2003 NCAA Volleyball Championship. The Mid-Con Volleyball Tournament will be contested in Valparaiso for the second time, the first time since 1996.

Beginning its 22nd year, the Mid-Continent Conference is comprised of nine member institutions - Centenary College of Louisiana, Chicago State University, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC), Oakland University, Oral Roberts University, Southern Utah University, Valparaiso University and Western Illinois University. The league offers championships in 19 sports.

2003 Volleyball Preseason Poll
School-Points
1. IUPUI (4) - 45
2. Valparaiso (2) - 43
3. Oral Roberts (2) - 41
4. UMKC - 31
5. Western Illinois - 23
6. Oakland - 21
7. Chicago State - 12
8. Centenary - 8
(First place votes in parentheses)

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