INDIANAPOLIS – An expanded divisional format with the addition of five institutions has generated plenty of buzz going into the 2017 Great Midwest Athletic Conference volleyball season.
A total of 13 competing institutions will battle it out in the East and West while eight of those teams will ultimately advance into the Great Midwest Championship bracket.
In 2016, two teams now in the league advanced to the NCAA Championship Midwest Regional with reigning Great Midwest regular-season and tournament champion Cedarville and Findlay, who played last year with GLIAC affiliation.
The two juggernaut programs were on a collision course in the national tournament with Cedarville prevailing in a five-set final. The Yellow Jackets and Oilers are both postseason tested for what is shaping up to be an outstanding divisional race.
Findlay was tabbed by the league’s coaches as the West Division favorite while Lake Erie grabbed top preseason honors in the East Division.
Findlay and Lake Erie are new to the Great Midwest volleyball scene along with Hillsdale, Ohio Dominican and Walsh, this season.
Nine of the 13 Great Midwest schools will also be competing for bragging rights at the Midwest Region Volleyball Crossover on Oct. 13-14 in Aurora, Ill., at the Great Lakes Center.
The regular season officially begins on Thursday, Aug. 31, and home matches for all conference institutions will be streamed live on the Great Midwest Digital Network this year.
WEST DIVISION
All the faces from Findlay are going to be new around the league this season, but fans (not the opponents) will miss getting the opportunity to see three-time All-American Hannah Tong on the court. Tong was one of three AVCA All-Americans on the Oilers’ roster last year along with Nickyla Garverick and sophomore setter Hailee Olson.
Olson was the 2015 NCAA DII Freshman of the Year and averaged 10.77 assists per set as a sophomore, a number that would serve as the single-season conference record. UF is looking to get back to the national tourney for the third consecutive season.
Cedarville graduated an integral core to the program’s successful run with huge four-year contributions by all-conference players Abby Shelton, Angela Becker, Kristin Cardwell and Rachel Krikke. All will be missed, but reigning league player of the year Gabby Olson and the dominant serve from Krissy Pratt will be key in their senior seasons.
Coach Doug Walters has won 68 percent of his matches since 2012 and an eye-opening 91 percent of his conference matches (48-5).
The Great Midwest coaches view Hillsdale as just as much of a threat with six of the team’s seven starters returning from a 16-12 campaign. Hillsdale busted out of the gates in 2016 with 12 wins in its first 14 matches.
On paper, it appears Trevecca Nazarene’s roster will take on a new look. TNU's four-time all-conference outside hitter and co-player of the year Katelyn Atkinson will be missed - she graduated with the second-most kills in conference history (1,705) and is the all-time record holder in kills per set (3.80).
The Trojans will look to acclimate a class of eight freshmen quickly to the college game as Jayme Crowley prepares to complete a decade of service on the sidelines as head coach.
New league member Ohio Dominican is predicated on defense with 17.7 digs per set last season, a number that would also be a conference single-season record. The Panthers are balanced with seven returners and seven newcomers as they look to build on an 8-18 campaign a year ago.
After collecting 10 wins in 2016, Kentucky Wesleyan brings back a lot of familiar faces to the lineup, including second-team all-conference middle Sierra Morrow and all-freshman team sophomore setter Kylie Foster. KWC advanced to the conference tournament last season and took Malone to the wire in five sets to conclude the postseason.
EAST DIVISION
Seven teams comprise the East with Lake Erie leading the way early on. The Storm were 19-16 last season and assembled an impressive 9-1 combined record against current conference opponents. LEC saved its best for Findlay with two wins against the Oilers, including a knockout blow in the GLIAC Tournament.
Lake Erie is continuing to develop young talent with 12 of the 16 on the roster listed as underclassmen. The Storm are tough on their home court at 8-3 a year ago; it will be interesting to see how the program responds with a target on its back as the divisional favorite.
East runner-up Walsh was near-perfect at the regional crossover with wins against rival Malone and Maryville while taking Wisconsin-Parkside to five sets. Senior Gina Kramer leads the Cavaliers with 3.21 kills per set.
Davis & Elkins was the conference tournament runner-up a year ago as the Senators took Cedarville down to the wire in five sets. Senior Sasha Johnson just might be the best-kept secret in the league with her proficient attacking and blocking ability in the middle of the floor. She has increased her productivity every year and should be viewed as a viable conference player of the year candidate.
Ursuline and Malone both made the conference tournament a year ago; the Arrows have an experienced back row with Katelyn Selleny (9.6 assists per set) running the show and Kassidy Stilwell digging out over five attack attempts per set.
Malone’s Mallory Adams, Veronica Gehring and Hannah Eliason, return up front, giving the Pioneers a formidable front line. All three are all-conference types of performers getting ready for their second year in the league.
Alderson Broaddus is seeking improvement and returns a dozen student-athletes from last year’s roster while Ohio Valley is ushering in a brand new coaching era with Marlon Sano at the helm. Sano was an assistant coach on the 1984 U.S. Olympic Team that won a silver medal and has some extensive experience at the collegiate level. OVU will be without four-year standouts Alyx Henry and Megan Morrison for the first time.