GREENWOOD, Ind. – This fall, another automatic qualifier for the national tournament is coming to the Great Midwest Athletic Conference in the sport of volleyball. 

The league’s head coaches and various student-athletes chimed in with their thoughts as a new chase begins on Thursday with the start of the 2015 regular season.

A few things to keep an eye on this year as the G-MAC anxiously awaits the frontrunner out of its eight schools:

Can Cedarville win the conference title for the fourth year in a row -- this time without Hannah Wagner, Tori Thompson, Maddie Ledbetter and Amanda Bell?
How will new head coaches Jayme Plummer (Ursuline) and Kylie Carrington (Davis & Elkins) implement their system in year one?
Can the G-MAC make a statement in October in the Midwest Regional Volleyball Crossover (against GLVC/GLIAC opponents)?
How will reigning G-MAC Player of the Year Alyx Henry respond following a year under the spotlight?
Can senior leadership play a key role for teams projected in the middle of the pack to emerge as contenders?

Central State is no longer in the picture after switching conference membership and the 2015 standings are based off of divisional alignment, Black and Blue.

The Black division consists of Alderson Broaddus, Davis & Elkins, Ohio Valley and Salem International. The Blue division features Cedarville, Kentucky Wesleyan, Trevecca Nazarene and Ursuline.

In Aurora, Ill., the G-MAC will compete in the Midwest Regional Volleyball Crossover on Oct. 16-17. Entry was made available to the top four G-MAC teams based on the 2014 standings (Cedarville, Ohio Valley, Ursuline, Kentucky Wesleyan). The remaining four teams will have a bye weekend on those dates. 

Each school in order is based off results from the G-MAC Preseason Coaches Poll.
 

NO. 1 CEDARVILLE YELLOW JACKETS Head Coach: Doug Walters 2014 Record (Overall): 20-13 2014 Record (G-MAC): 10-1 2014 All-G-MAC Returners: (Krissy Pratt, all-freshman team) Key Departures: (Tori Thompson, first team; Hannah Wagner, first team; Maddie Ledbetter, second team; Amanda Bell)

2015 Outlook: Since 2012 in a three-year span, the Yellow Jackets have run the table in the G-MAC, reeling off 75 wins to the tune of a winning percentage nearly at .700.

Even more impressive is the 30-3 record fashioned in the conference schedule under the guidance of head coach Doug Walters. Walters is known for piecing together a tough non-conference schedule to get ready for the G-MAC calendar and this year is no different.

Gone is 2013 G-MAC Player of the Year Hannah Wagner and dependable setter Maddie Ledbetter. Wagner and Ledbetter combined to play in 216 matches and Wagner’s wicked lefty swing translated into becoming the G-MAC’s current career leader in kills with 1,076. 

Also moving on is dual threat Tori Thompson in the middle, a consistent leader in the league towards the top in categories like blocks and hitting percentage.

Another underrated contributor to Cedarville’s three-peat was Amanda Bell, who racked up 849 kills in three years and has the most attack attempts in the league’s young history. 

G-MAC Freshman of the Year Krissy Pratt will be asked to shoulder more of the load up front and Abby Shelton flew under the radar with 2.35 kills per set as she enters her junior campaign.

Walters has reloaded with a class of five freshmen. The Yellow Jackets are still relatively young on paper. Angela Becker is the G-MAC’s all-time leader in digs (1,171) and is just a junior.

The Yellow Jackets have done it for three consecutive years -- can they pull off a fourth with the additional pressure of the national championship automatic qualifier bid on the line.

 

NO. 2 OHIO VALLEY FIGHTING SCOTS Head Coach: Paul Jacoby 2014 Record (Overall): 24-10 2014 Record (G-MAC): 10-2 2014 All-G-MAC Returners: (Alyx Henry, first team; Amanda Weatherwax, second team) Key Departures: (Jessica Cimpson, second team; Imani Ward, second team)

2015 Outlook: The Fighting Scots, behind the league’s coach and player of the year, surged towards the top of the conference standings before giving Cedarville an entertaining final in the G-MAC Championship.

Ohio Valley broke out of the gates by winning the first set against the Yellow Jackets before Cedarville spoiled the upset bid after settling in.

Listed at a generous 5-5, junior outside/right side Alyx Henry’s athleticism/vertical leap/initial explosion off the ground is something to marvel at in person.

Henry was the G-MAC Player of the Year and is poised to become the G-MAC’s career leader in a number of statistics before it’s all said and done.

Her first kill of the fall will put her in a tie for second in career kills (848) and she already ranks second in service aces with 113 in her first two years as well.

OVU’s returning supporting cast also includes another strong hitter in Amanda Weatherwax and defensive specialist Megan Morrison. Morrison is second in G-MAC history in career digs with 1,045.

Noticeably absent will be setter Jessica Simpson and an imposing force in the middle, Imani Ward. Simpson had racked up 2,421 assists in two years and developed into an all-conference setter.

Tall 5-11 middle Felicia Zartman, one of the league’s best blockers up front, also graduated. She compiled 202 total blocks in two years.

 

NO. 3 KENTUCKY WESLEYAN PANTHERS Head Coach: Eric Hagan 2014 Record (Overall): 16-13 2014 Record (G-MAC): 7-4 2014 All-G-MAC Returners: (Sarah Swenson, all-freshman team) Key Departures: (Summer Alford, first team; Dallas Zimmerman; Chelsea Brothers)

2015 Outlook: The second year of the Eric Hagan coaching era gets underway shortly with a revamped roster and plenty of new faces around the KWC volleyball program. 

A total of 75 percent of the roster will underclassmen (seven freshmen, five sophomores) while continuing to adjust to Hagan’s system. 

Gone are the top three hitters from last year’s squad: Summer Alford, Chelsea Brothers and Dallas Zimmerman -- they all leave big shoes to fill. Libero Hannah Hudnall is also gone after digging out 482 attack attempts in 2014. 

Nikki Jenkins is one of two seniors and after averaging 2.11 kills per set as a junior, could step into a more prominent role. All-freshman setter Sarah Swenson should be ready to take the next developmental step. 

The Panthers are aiming to recapture the 2013 contender form while a wealth of newcomers and younger talent continues to take shape in Owensboro.

 

NO. 4 URSULINE ARROWS Head Coach: Jayme Plummer 2014 Record (Overall): 18-9 2014 Record (G-MAC): 8-4 2014 All-G-MAC Returners: (Emily Adkinson, first team; Abbie Fabo, second team) Key Departures: (Molly Hilfinger, first team)

  

Plummer joined Ursuline from the ranks at Akron, where he was with the Zips since 2009.

Last year, Ursuline was able to take Cedarville down to the wire in five sets in a memorable Oct. 31 matchup before coming up just short. 

Plummer will welcome the return of all-conference hitters Emily Adkinson and Abbie Fabo while Makayla Windau also returns on the outside. Molly Hilfinger (1,912 assists from 2013-14), another accomplished setter in the conference, graduated.

Adkinson led the conference in hitting percentage while senior Elise Harcek was fifth in the same category. Fabo was seventh in kills, averaging 2.68 per set.

The Arrows will be anxious to play their first home match in the new Sister Diana Stano Athletic Center officially on September 15 against Walsh, a future G-MAC member.





 

NO. 5 TREVECCA NAZARENE TROJANS Head Coach: Jayme Crowley 2014 Record (Overall): 15-15 2014 Record (G-MAC): 6-5 2014 All-G-MAC Returners: (Katelyn Atkinson, first team; Loren Bennett; Delaney Hearne; Zakia Jackson) Key Departures: (Kaleigh Jarrett)

  

On paper, the Trojans are loaded with key contributors from a year ago with a large percentage of the offense back.  There is plenty of reason to believe TNU can finish towards the top of the standings and make a postseason run. 

Now a junior, all-conference outside hitter Katelyn Atkinson is primed for another huge offensive campaign. 

Atkinson is one kill away from 800 coming into this year and will continue to be fed the ball. Operating the offense will be senior setter Loren Bennett, who ranks fifth in career assists within the G-MAC (1,309). 

Flanking Atkinson up front are a pair of bookend outsides with seniors Zakia Jackson and Delaney Hearne with plenty of experience in their respective roles.

Crowley brought in five freshmen and has an aggressive tournament schedule organized with five matches at the Alabama-Huntsville Classic before TNU hosts a tourney of its own.

 

NO. 6 ALDERSON BROADDUS BATTLERS Head Coach: Carrie Bodkins 2014 Record (Overall): 11-23 2014 Record (G-MAC): 6-6 2014 All-G-MAC Returners: (Megan Christmann, second team; Lauren Daudelin, all-freshman team) Key Departures: (Kayla Peterson; Victoria Morgan)

 

AB head coach Carrie Bodkins has 22 total student-athletes on the fall roster, including seven freshmen.

Megan Christmann and Jayla McCrary are anchors in the middle. Senior outside Caitlin Cain is an offensive threat and one of the best servers in the league. 

Sophomore Lauren Daudelin made the all-freshman team last year and is another tall force in the middle at an even 6-0.

Christmann (2.59) and Cain (2.55) were both in the top 10 of all players in the league in kills per set last year. Junior libero Lauren Hogan dug out 555 attack attempts as a sophomore.

AB will look to get a better start out of the gates this season. The Battlers started out 2014 on the short end of seven consecutive matches while working through a tough non-conference schedule.
 

 

NO. 7 DAVIS & ELKINS SENATORS Head Coach: Kylie Carrington 2014 Record (Overall): 10-17 2014 Record (G-MAC): 4-8 2014 All-G-MAC Returners: (Kayla Godwin, second team) Key Departures: (Alexis Mourier; Callie Updike)

2015 Outlook: Similar to Ursuline, Davis & Elkins is beginning a new coaching era as well with the addition of Kylie Carrington as she begins her first year at the helm.

Carrington’s arrival was in recent history and the Senators will have quick adjustments throughout the preseason while getting acclimated to her playing style/system.

Two seniors highlight the roster, setter Haylee Murray and defensive specialist Ellie Drain. Second-team all-conference middle blocker Kayla Godwin also returns. 

The conference schedule for D&E starts out with Ursuline, Cedarville and Alderson Broaddus, on the road. The Senators will also host their own tournament in Elkins after traveling to open the regular season in Shippensburg.

D&E has one of the most diverse rosters with states represented. Only one player is from West Virginia, while student-athletes from Louisiana, Arizona, Oregon, Texas, Michigan and California, have taken their careers to Davis & Elkins. 



 

NO. 8 SALEM INTERNATIONAL TIGERS Head Coach: Chris Weber 2014 Record (Overall): 5-22 2014 Record (G-MAC): 1-11 2014 All-G-MAC Returners: (Rachel Hess, all-freshman team) Key Departures: (Jen Martinez; Janae Harris)

2015 Outlook: This fall represents the second year of existence for the young Salem International volleyball program and the Tigers continue to make strides while stabilizing the roster and developing talent.

German sophomore outside hitter Rachel Hess is as good of a building block to begin with and after making the league’s all-freshman team last year, she should be ready for that next step.

Hess led the team with 247 kills, including a season-high 20 against West Virginia State and ranked within the top 10 of the G-MAC in kills.

Head coach Chris Weber brought in 10 total freshmen, significantly boosting the roster’s numbers. He has two seniors -- Brittney Nesbitt and Keona Kelly -- and two juniors. 

The composition of the roster is similar to that of Kentucky Wesleyan with a heavy dose of underclassmen. After picking up five wins in 2014, SIU will look to boost that total in 2015.