GREENWOOD, Ind. – A recent vote from the Great Midwest Athletic Conference volleyball head coaches resulted in Cedarville University as the preseason favorite heading into the upcoming fall campaign.
Kentucky Wesleyan was tabbed second followed by Alderson Broaddus and Trevecca University. Ursuline College was selected fifth and the remainder of the poll was rounded out by Davis & Elkins College, Ohio Valley University, Salem International University and Central State University.
Cedarville garnered seven of the nine total first-place votes with Kentucky Wesleyan and Alderson Broaddus each receiving one vote to finish at the top of the standings.
The Yellow Jackets of Cedarville have their sights narrowed in on a third consecutive G-MAC title, but theatrics late in the 2013 regular season have once again set the stage for a compelling storyline this fall with everyone attempting to dethrone the reigning champs.
KWC earned 26 wins, ABU recorded 20 and CU racked up 23 victories, over the course of the 2013 campaign.
After only five schools factored into the inaugural league standings in 2012, the competition was fierce with eight in the mix last season.
The addition of Salem International University makes the total at nine this year as the G-MAC continues to establish credibility for potential additional postseason play in the NCAA Championship Midwest Regional.
Kentucky Wesleyan had Cedarville’s number in the regular season, but the Yellow Jackets avenged a pair of five-set defeats with a straight-set sweep in the G-MAC Championship match.
Cedarville head coach Doug Walters returns the G-MAC Player of the Year, outside hitter Hannah Wagner, and two other all-conference performers, first-team outside hitter Amanda Bell and second-team setter Maddie Anderson, in addition to honorable mention representation.
“We’re pretty excited for going into this year,” Walters said. “Winning the conference championship the past two years has been great and we’ve got big goals of the NCAA Tournament for this team going forward.”
As a two-way impact player, Wagner averaged 2.75 kills per set while also solidifying herself among the G-MAC’s leaders in blocks.
She was a three-time G-MAC Player of the Week as a junior as the Yellow Jackets righted the ship following a tough start out of the gates against perennial powerhouse competition.
“We’re really excited about this season,” Wagner reiterated. “We have a little less of a frontloaded schedule, but still a tough one. This time we will be more prepared. Hopefully, we’re going to win some of those big, key matches.”
By analyzing serving statistics alone, on paper the G-MAC was one of the premier leagues with five schools ranking in the top 60 (out of 273 total programs) nationally in aces per set.
Alderson Broaddus paced all teams from the conference to sit at No. 13 with an average of 2.04 service aces per set and additionally ranked 23rd in hitting percentage, respectively.
Kentucky Wesleyan, ranked 16th nationally in hitting percentage last year, has plenty of offensive punch returning with first-team front-line standouts Summer Alford and Dallas Zimmerman. Zimmerman hit to the tune of .350 to rank 19th nationally in attacking percentage as a freshman.
Under new leadership this year, KWC’s first-year head coach Eric Hagan will replace first team all-conference setter Jordan Rickert, who averaged almost 10 assists per set while operating an efficient offense.
Trevecca University is anxious to see the progression of reigning G-MAC Freshman of the Year Katelyn Atkinson, who led the conference in kills per set while bursting on to the collegiate scene. Alderson Broaddus placed six on the all-conference team last year, including three on the second team and three more on the honorable mention unit.
The regular season will ultimately determine the top seed in the bracket and eventual host for the G-MAC Championships. Last year’s edition was held in Owensboro, Ky., as Kentucky Wesleyan claimed the regular-season conference crown and the No. 1 seed.
2014 G-MAC Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Cedarville University (7 first-place votes)
2. Kentucky Wesleyan College (1 first-place vote)
3. Alderson Broaddus University (1 first-place vote)
4. Trevecca University
5. Ursuline College
6. Davis & Elkins College
7. Ohio Valley University
8. Salem International University
9. Central State University